Polymer Based Integrated Photonic Devices For Highly Parallel Optical Interconnects

We have solved the crosslinker crystallization problem which has been a major bottleneck for several years. A new method of electrooptic measurenment is invented which has the advantage of being able to accurately measure r33 and r13 separately with a high accuracy. A theory of TE-TM mode conversion in tilted-poled NLO waveguides is developed. A new polarization-independent Mach-Zehnder modulator is designed and fabricated by using this theory. This device uses continuous modulation electrodes, thereby allowing the employment of traveling-wave modulation to achieve extremely high speed. Primary polarization-independent devices and directional-coupler devices have been fabricated. Further design and fabrication of new high performance electrooptic devices are under investigation.