POLYMERIC ELECTROOPTIC PHASE MODULATORS FORMED BY SELF-ALIGNMENT OVER CHANNELS ETCHED INTO INDIUM-PHOSPHIDE

Waveguides which are single mode at a wavelength of 1.32-mu-m, and which have linear electro-optic properties, have been fabricated by spin coating polymers onto etched indium phosphide. The side-chain polymer, which comprises the core of the waveguide, develops linear electro-optic properties following an electric field alignment process. A phase modulator has been fabricated by this method and was found to have a switching voltage of 30 V, for a pi-phase change. The total insertion loss of the device was measured between single-mode lensed fibers to be 9.4 dB. The electro-optic coefficient of the core polymer was calculated from the switching voltage using the geometry of the device and found to range from 6 to 11 x 10(-12) m/V.