Optical signal processor using electro-optic polymer waveguides

Byoung-Joon Seo; Seongku Kim; Harold Fetterman; Dan Jin; Raluca Dinu

doi:10.1117/12.734844

26 September 2007 Optical signal processor using electro-optic polymer waveguides

Byoung-Joon Seo, Seongku Kim, Harold Fetterman, Dan Jin, Raluca Dinu

Proceedings Volume 6713, Nanophotonics and Macrophotonics for Space Environments; 671302 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.734844
Event: Optical Engineering + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We have investigated an optical signal processor using electro-optic polymer waveguides at 1.55 μm. As a result of recent polymer development many new optical devices are becoming available such as optical filters, modulators, switches, multiplexers, etc. It would be useful to have a single optical device, which is reconfigurable, to implement all of these optical devices functions. We call such a device an 'Optical Signal Processor', which will play a similar role as digital signal processors in electrical circuits. We have realized such an optical device using optical-delay-line circuits. Since optical-delay-line circuits are based on the multiple interference of coherent light and can be integrated with enough complexity, they have been utilized for purposes of optical processing such as optical filters. However, the guiding waveguides that were used are passive and the only mechanism used to reconfigure their functions has been thermal. This is slow and cannot be used for high speed applications such as optical modulators and optical packet switches. On the other hand, electro-optic polymers have a very high electro-optic coefficient with a good velocity match between the electrical and optical signals which makes them ideal for efficient, high speed, devices. Therefore, we have investigated delay line optical signal processor circuits using the electro-optic polymer waveguides. These structures are complex enough to generate arbitrary functions and fast enough to obtain high data rates. Using these optical signal processors, we have investigated interesting applications including arbitrary waveform generators.

Citation Download Citation

Byoung-Joon Seo, Seongku Kim, Harold Fetterman, Dan Jin, and Raluca Dinu "Optical signal processor using electro-optic polymer waveguides", Proc. SPIE 6713, Nanophotonics and Macrophotonics for Space Environments, 671302 (26 September 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.734844

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available