High-frequency polymer modulators with integrated finline transitions and low V/sub π/

Ultrahigh-speed integrated electrooptic polymer phase modulators have been fabricated and tested. They are made from a new nonlinear optical polymer, amino phenylene isophorone isoxazolone (APII), and are incorporated with integrated high-speed electrode transitions for W-band (75-110 GHz) operation. This new polymer has also been used to fabricate Mach-Zehnder modulators. These devices show good performance over a wide frequency band ranging to 40 GHz and have a V/spl pi/<10 V. The measurements establish APII, and other chromophores specially designed to minimize chromophore-chromophore interaction, as strong contenders for fabricating modulators for commercial and military applications.