SIMPLE 2-SLIT INTERFERENCE ELECTROOPTIC COEFFICIENTS MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE AND EFFICIENT COPLANAR ELECTRODE POLING OF POLYMER THIN-FILMS

A novel technique using coplanar electrodes for measuring the electro- optic coefficients of in-plane poled polymer thin films is presented, This method does not require waveguiding and uses a simple optical set up. In this technique the index across one slit of a two-slit aperture is modulated by an electric field and the modulated interference patt ern of light after it propagates through these slits is detected in th e far field. A coplanar electrode pattern was used for both in-plane p oling and for measuring the r coefficients in a two-arm push-pull conf iguration. The maximum poling strength achieved was 200 V/mu m. An r(3 3) coefficients of 12.5 pm/V at 1.3 mu m, the wavelength dispersion of r(33) and the r(33)/r(13) ratio as a function of the poling field, we re measured for the PURDR19 electro-optic polymer. (C) 1996 American I nstitute of Physics.