ANALYSIS OF A MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETRY MEASUREMENT OF THE POCKELS COEFFICIENTS IN A POLED POLYMER FILM WITH A REFLECTION CONFIGURATION

Mach-Zehnder interferometry is employed to measure the Pockels coeffic ients in a poled thin polymer film, which serves as a reflection mirro r in the sample arm of the interferometer. As a complete optical chara cterization of the electro-optic polymer film, the modulated light int ensity of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is investigated as a functio n of the optical bias in the reference arm, the modulation voltage app lied to the film, the polarization angle of the incident light, and th e angle of incidence on the film. The Mach-Zehnder interferometry meas urement of the Pockels coefficients in the reflection configuration ha s an advantage over single-beam polarization interferometry in permitt ing the independent determination of the Pockels tensor components, r( 13) and r(33). Particularly, in a reflection configuration two-beam in terferometric measurement, a proper consideration of the optical path change due to the refractive angle change is found to be critical in d etermining the absolute values of the Pockels coefficients. (C) 1998 A merican Institute of Physics.