NonLinear Optical (NLO) Materials and Device Development

This Phase I effort is to synthesize and develop material processing systems that possess the mechanical properties, and processing characteristic for use in flexible electronic and photonic devices. We will demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating in this effort to optimize the modulator/switch and investigate ways to render it manufacturable and multichip module packagable. This would include identifying or synthesizing an optimum conductive polymer. Devices would include mach Zehnder interferometers and directional couplers. Explore schemes to couple the light from the NLO polymer section into the passive polymer section used for the general routing of the signal. Also study the triple stack properties and determine maximum modulation rate. The conductivities of the conductive polymer layers and NLO polymer layer between the metal electrodes may behave like three capacitors in series, limiting the modulation rate. This needs to be quantified for a practical device. The detailed processing procedures, testing results, analysis of data for nonlinear optical (NLO) polymer opto-electronic (OE) modulator/switch and the future prototype development of directional waveguides, splitters, decouplers, and Mach Zehnder modulators under the follow-on STTR Phase II program. This will include a feasibility road map. to reach the NLO Polymer material goals for the USAF.