Polymeric optical intensity modulator optimized in quasi-single mode operation

An electro-optic polymer intensity modulator designed in the heavily multimode region but operating as a quasi-single mode waveguide has been demonstrated. The device relaxes much of the trade-off relationship between the modulation voltage and coupling efficiency without the sacrifice of the modulation extinction ratio. The device poled at 1.5 MV/cm shows half-wave voltage-length product of 7.2 V cm, modulation extinction ratio better than 20 dB, and mode diameters of about 4 and 9 mu m in vertical and lateral directions, respectively. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.