CHARGE-TRANSFER INTERACTIONS IN POLYMERS AND THE FABRICATION OF HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTROOPTIC MODULATORS

The synthesis and processing of second order nonlinear optical polymer ic materials for application in electro-optic devices is described wit h particular emphasis on (1) the synthesis and incorporation into hard ened polymer lattices of chromophores characterized by large mu beta ( where mu is the dipole moment and beta is the molecular first hyperpol arizability) values; (2) the synthesis and incorporation into hardened polymer lattices of chromophores which are capable of undergoing phot oinduced conformational changes and which can be processed by new mult i-color photolithography techniques into buried channel active wavegui des; and (3) the processing of polymeric nonlinear optical materials a ppropriate for the realization of full integration with very large sca le integration (VLSI) drive electronics and with silica fiber optic tr ansmission lines. Prototype modulators have been fabricated and shown to be suitable for broadband operation from 0 to 113 GHz. Optical loss es associated with waveguide wall roughness and with mode mismatch in transitioning between silica and polymeric waveguides are reduced by c ontrol of the conditions of reactive ion etching and by use of the new technique of multi-color photochemical lithography.