Novel Nonlinear Elctrooptic Fluorinated Polyimide For High Speed Optical Modulators

Ipitek is proposing to develop a novel polyimide-based high Electrooptic (EO) polymer for Air Force high-speed optical data handling applications. We will work in collaboration with Nitto Denko Technical, Co, one of the major commercial chemical companiesin the world. The proposed polymer is based on a cross-linkable fluorinated polyimide containing high nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores. The novel polymer is aimed to improve optical loss and thermal stabilities, which are major obstacles in currenthigh-speed polymer EO modulators, while retaining high performance properties needed for making high performance EO devices with high bandwidth and low halfwave drive voltage. Optical loss of 0.2-0.5 dB/cm, EO-coefficient (r33) of 50-60 pm/V and >180,aCoperating temperature are expected in the proposed polymers. These polymers will be used to develop EO modulators. During Phase I we will work to prove the feasibility of the proposed cross-linkable fluorinated polyimide EO materials by synthesizingtrifluorovinyl-containing polyimide and trifluorovinyl-containing chromophore. Material characterization will be performed and prototype EO modulators based on the new materials will be developed. In Phase II, we will complete synthesizing proposedmaterials and build prototype EO modulators based on the final synthesized materials. Major problems in current high-speed polymer modulators include unstable thermal properties and high insertion loss. Our proposed fluorinated polyimide has very stable thermal properties and high transmission in the near infrared region. The high-speedpolymer modulators based on fluorinated polyimide are precipitated with high performance, including stable thermal properties and low insertion loss. These high performance polymer modulators will meet the needs of MDA for large optical data handling inlinks of satellite-to-satellite, satellite-to-aircraft and phase array radar systems. Telecommunications and network systems will also greatly benefit from high-performance modulators.