Whitepapers
Click on the title or the icons ( 
) to view the abstract for each paper. You will need a PDF viewer such as Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Whitepapers.
|
High Speed, Wide Bandwidth
Electro-Optic Polymer-Based Modulators |
Summary: High performance optical components are necessary for the next generation of high speed
telecom and datacom communications networks, high-performance computing platforms, high
capacity communication satellites, compact and high frequency phased-array radar, and
lightweight broadband avionics. Optical components have performed reasonably well in
applications up to 10Gbps and in some cases up to 40Gbps. As data rates increase beyond
40Gbps, the performance of external modulators based on crystalline technologies such as
LiNbO3, GaAs, and InP degrades significantly. Theses technologies also show limited
integratability with other optical and electronic components. The performance needed at very
high data rates is only possible by means of alternative technologies such as electro-optic (EO)
polymers. At Lumera Corporation, electro-optic polymer materials and devices have
demonstrated low drive voltages, and broad bandwidths in addition to thermal and photochemical
stability. These performance parameters along with the integratability of polymer technology
demonstrate that electro-optic polymers are becoming a mature and stable technology that is
uniquely capable of enabling the next generation of extremely high-speed optical systems.
|
|
|
Applications of Electro-optic Polymers and Devices: Breaking the High Frequency, Broad Bandwidth Barrier |
Summary: High frequency, broad bandwidth technology development in both civilian and defense applications is being driven by the need to quickly process and distribute large amounts of information. Due to the high cost, complexity, and performance limitations of electronic high frequency systems, hybrid electrical-optical or all-optical systems are necessary. Current off-theshelf optical components function well at frequencies below 20 GHz, but their performance begins to degrade quickly above 40 GHz. This performance degradation results primarily from limitations in the crystalline electro-optic materials currently used to fabricate optical components. Optical components and integrated optical devices that operate at high frequency and with high bandwidth are necessary for next generation applications such as:
To break through the current frequency limitations, adoption of new electro-optic materials and
devices is necessary. Electro-optic polymers have high electro-optic activity and consistent
frequency response up to at least 200 GHz. Additionally, electro-optic polymers can be
processed to facilitate integration with other materials such as semiconductor light sources and
detectors, low voltage CMOS drivers, and inorganic and polymeric waveguides. These EO
polymer properties, either alone or in combination, lead to optical components or integrated
optical devices that can generate, process, and detect optical signals at high frequency with high
data rates and broad bandwidth.
|
|
