Integrated optical phase modulator using a hybrid structure of glass waveguides and electro-optic polymers

Summary form only given. In telecommunication, the organic materials offer new possibilities for the development of electro-optic (EO) devices with good performances. The interest stems from their excellent EO coefficient and large bandwidth, as well as their easy processability and low cost. In addition, they provide the possibility to integrate easily with other materials like glass substrates. The hybridation of glass ion exchange waveguides technology with that of the EO polymers permits the integration of passive and active functions in a multifunctional device. This technique offers a different approach in which complex passive functions, with low propagation losses, produced by the ion exchange technology can be integrated with large bandwidth electro-optic active functions in the same substrate. We have fabricated a modulator with a vertically stacked structure, which consists of a single mode ion exchange waveguide recovered with a low refractive index poled EO polymer (n /spl ap/ 1.5; r/sub 33/ = 12 pm/V) sandwiched between a lower transparent electrode (ITO indium tin oxide) and an upper aluminium electrode. To avoid induced losses of the metallic layer, a buffer cladding is deposited between the upper electrode and the polymer. A similar structure have already proposed for a TE pass polarizer.