Nanophotonic modulators based on functional polymeric materials

Photon-X, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and University of Washington (UW) are teaming to propose to develop next generation EO modulators based on photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides and stable functional polymeric materials that would provide revolutionary performance for broad range of applications. We will design and analyze PhC modulators based on highly stable advanced NLO polymers and demonstrate the feasibility of achieving low voltage (e.g. 95% modulation depth) for >100GHz operation at 1550nm. Our proposed approach utilizes 1) PhC waveguides to take advantage of their unique fundamental properties of high dispersion and slow group velocity that enable significant enhancement of nonlinear optical effect, and 2) NLO polymeric materials to take advantage of their superior EO properties as well as ease in fabrication for high density device integration. In the proposed project, relatively low refractive index of the NLO polymer will be increased by TiO2 nanoparticle doping as well as compensated by the geometry of the PhC via increasing the number of degrees of symmetry in the lattice. Advanced stable NLO EO polymers will be synthesized by UW and 2D polymer PhC designs and fabrications will be realized by UPenn while nanoparticle dopings, polymer waveguide mode transformer integration, EO modulator device design, fabrication, test and packaging as well as overall project management will be provided by Photon-X.