Electro-optic measurement of poled polymer-based asymmetric Fabry–Perot cavity

An easy way to determine linear electro-optic effect of poled polymer materials was demonstrated by polymer-based asymmetric Fabry–Perot multiple reflection cavity. The standing-free technique of the cavity and reflective light path configuration was adopted in the measurement. This method can convert probe beam from phase modulation to intensity modulation without the reference beam for electro-optic application of poled polymer. The polymer used was a disperse red 1 doped guest/host material. The principle of the system was analyzed by multiple reflection and index ellipsoid methods, and the voltage sensitivity about 6 mV/Hz of the system was obtained at 1 kHz input signal.     

Measurement of the electro-optic coefficient of polymer thin films with better spatial resolution

A method for measuring the electro-optic coefficient of polymer films on the basis of an asymmetry Fabry–Perot cavity is introduced. The sample layer is located between two aluminium layers, which are deposited on glass substrates by thermal evaporation. This layer structure is objected to a laser beam, and a variable voltage is applied to the aluminium films resulting in a modulation of the transmitted laser power. The electro-optic coefficient γ₁₃ of the poled polymer film can be calculated by evaluating the Fabry–Perot equation. The spatial resolution is tested with a polymer film that was poled by a needle corona discharge in air through a metal grating with a period of 120 μm. By scanning the sample plate in the direction perpendicular to the grating lines, the spatial resolution is also demonstrated according to the spacing of the poled structure.     

基于F-P腔的极化聚合物的纵向电光调制

利用Fabry-Perot腔实现了置于腔内的极化聚合物电光薄膜的纵向电光调制,此模型中极化电场方向、调制电场方向均与通光方向平行.腔的精细因子大约为18(对1.3μm的光),膜厚度为1μm.实验所得调制深度在调制电场为1V/μm时为0.012%.其结果证实了利用Fabry-Perot腔实现纵向电光调制并利用其研究极化聚合物薄膜的可能. 关键词： 电光效应 激光束调制 光学聚合物 光学设备     

Sampling high-frequency signals using a poled-polymer asymmetric Fabry–Perot microcavity as an electro-optic probe tip

The sampling of high-frequency signals using poled electro-optic polymer films as electro-optic probe tips has been demonstrated for the first time. The electro-optic polymer, which was spin coated onto a high-reflectivity glass substrate, was corona poled; thus an asymmetric Fabry–Perot microcavity was formed, based on the difference between the polymer reflectivity and that of high-reflectivity glass. This converts phase modulation to amplitude modulation, so only one laser beam is needed in this system. The sampling technique has been analyzed by multiple reflection and index ellipsoid methods. A 1.2 GHz microwave signal propagating on a coplanar waveguide transmission line has been sampled, and a voltage sensitivity of about 0.5 mV/ was obtained. Received: 16 August 2001 / Revised version: 20 November 2001 / Published online: 14 March 2002     

Investigation of the linear electro-optic effect for the guest–host polymer DR13/PEK-c thin films

The polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest–host polymer thin films doped with disperse red 13 were prepared by spin-coating method. The corona poling condition was optimized by the poling profiles. The polymer films were poled by corona-onset poling at elevated temperature, and the corona poling setup includes a grid voltage making the surface-charge distribution uniform. The linear electro-optic coefficients of the poled polymer films have been determined at λ=632.8 nm by using a new simple interferometric technique, which is based on compensating the change of the optical length due to the electro-optic effect of the poled polymer film by the anti-piezoelectric effect of a quartz crystal.     

Determination of the macroscopic optical properties for the NAEC/PEK-c guest–host polymer films

The polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest–host polymer films doped with (4′-nitro)-3-azo-9-ethyl-carbazole (NAEC) were prepared. The films were poled by corona-onset poling at elevated temperature (COPET). The orientational order parameter of the chromophores NAEC in poled polymer film was determined by measuring the absorption spectra of the films before and after being poled. By using the two-level model, the measured dispersion of the refractive index of the polymer film, and the dispersion of the first hyperpolarizability of chromophore NAEC, the dispersion of the macroscopic second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) and linear electro-optic (EO) coefficients was evaluated for the NAEC/PEK-c guest–host polymer film.     

Investigations of the E-O behavior in the poled polymer waveguide

The electro-optic (E-O) properties of the slab polymer waveguide induced by electric poling have been studied experimentally. The thin film waveguide was prepared by a synthesized polymer polypelargonamide and poled by applying voltage between the electrodes. I–V curves and E-O characteristics of the polymer films were in-situ measured during poling. In order to evaluate the molecular dipole orientation under the poling field, the absorption spectra of this film was observed by FTIR. The E-O performance of the polymer slab film was also estimated by the Mach–Zehnder interferometer.     

M-Z型极化DANS聚合物电光波导强度调制器研究

研究了Mach-Zehnder型极化聚合物电光波导强度调制器的制备工艺.器件采用DANS (4-dimethylamino-4′nitro-stlibene)聚合物为电光波导材料,由电光波导层、上下介质缓冲层、上下金属电极层构成五层波导结构.对五层光波导各层之间的光学、化学以及微加工工艺的相互兼容性进行了深入研究.采用紫外光漂白方法制备出侧壁光滑的条波导,采用钨丝电晕极化方法对DANS聚合物波导进行有效极化,使其具有电光特性.通过优化器件制备工艺,研制出工作波长为1300 nm的M-Z型电光波导强度调制器原型器件.实验测得器件半波电压约为10 V,调制带宽约为1 GHz.     

一种基于导模共振的电光调制器研究

实验研究了基于导模共振的反射型电光调制器采用的棱镜耦合方式,在棱镜上面镀有4层膜,依次为银膜下电极-极化聚合物-缓冲层-金膜上电极。对这种衰减全反射（ATR）型的聚合物波导电光调制器进行了视频调制实验,采用静态偏置电压稳定模式同步角方法,结合对入射激光束进行监测,解决了视频调制中激光器噪声对模拟信号调制影响的问题,提高了工作稳定性。实验结果表明：该电光调制器具有良好的线性和较高的灵敏度。     

Preparation and characterization of poled nanocrystal and polymer composite PZT/PC films

Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) nanocrystals and transparent polycarbonate (PC) composite thin films with useful properties for ferroelectric, piezoelectric and electro-optic devices were prepared by a spin-coating technique. Ultra-fine PZT (∼40–50 nm) nanocrystals with pure perovskite tetragonal phase were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the composite thin films were studied by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. To obtain the optimum electro-optic properties of poled composite films, the poling condition under an external electric field was optimized through the dielectric properties of PZT and PC polymer and effective field intensity theory. The electro-optic coefficient of the poled PZT/PC composite film is estimated to be 30.5 pm/V. The transparency spectra were measured and the optical band gaps of the unpoled, poled at 145 °C and poled at 165 °C composite thin films are estimated to be 4.26 eV, 4.21 eV and 4.18 eV, respectively. The measured dielectric constants of PZT/PC are in good agreement with the calculated values for the composite with a very small PZT volume fraction, based on the Onsager effective-field theory. This offers a reliable and indirect way to predict the dielectric constant of nanocrystals. PACS 81.40.Tv; 78.66.Sq; 78.66.Vs     

Nonlinear optical generation and detection of ultrashort electrical pulses in transmission lines

The nonlinear optical generation and detection of subpicosecond electrical pulses on coplanar transmission lines is demonstrated. The electrical pulses are generated by optical rectification of ultrashort optical pulses and detected by electro-optic sampling. Both processes are the result of a second-order nonlinear optical response that occurs in the same poled polymer medium. A bipolar temporal waveform with a FWHM duration of 180 fs for the positive lobe that was measured after a propagation distance of 125 mum was observed. Pulse broadening was minimized by careful attention to the device structure.     

Electro-optic detection of femtosecond electromagnetic pulses by use of poled polymers

We report the generation and coherent detection of freely propagating ultrashort baseband electromagnetic pulses. Using optical rectification in ?110? GaAs for wideband emission and electro-optic sampling in a poled polymer for wideband detection, we demonstrate spectral sensitivity that extends from the far infrared (lambda~100 mum) to ~33 THz(lambda = 9 mum) . Over a band of nearly 20 THz, a relatively flat frequency response is observed. We discuss issues that limit the response bandwidth.     

Determination of the absorption for incident light propagating parallel through the guest–host polymer film waveguide

Guest–host polymer thin films of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) incorporated with (4′-nitrobenzene)-3-azo-9-ethylcarbazole (NAEC) were fabricated by spin coating and then poled by the method of corona-onset poling at elevated temperature. The absorption mechanism of the polymeric film, which is very important for the optical transmission losses and directly relates to the orientation of chromophore NAEC in polymer PMMA, was investigated in detail. From the UV–visible absorption spectra for NAEC/PMMA film before and after being poled, we determined the change of absorption coefficient κ with the wavelength and approximately calculated the maximum absorption A_max as 3.46 for incident light propagating parallel through the film, i.e. the ordinary polarized light, which cannot be directly measured in the spectrophotometer.     

Enhanced electro-optic response of a poled polymer in a reflective microcavity

We investigated the electro-optic (EO) response of a reflective planar microcavity with a poled polymer spacer using reflection ellipsometry. We designed and fabricated the microcavity to have an enhanced local field in the EO polymer spacer and evaluated the resulting enhancement in the voltage-induced phase difference between the s- and p-polarized components. The phase difference obtained was 56 times larger than that for the EO polymer alone. This enhancement is attributed to the polarization-dependent local field effect for oblique incidence.     

Microstructure of a poled surface-relief grating and its electro-optic response

The microstructure of a poled surface-relief grating of an azobenzene side-chain polymer film is investigated. From the in situ monitoring of diffraction efficiency and second-harmonic generation, as well as dynamic-contact electrostatic force microscopy images, the point group symmetry of C2nu is identified. The polarization-dependent electro-optic measurement of the reflected diffraction order further confirms the optically biaxial structure of the poled surface-relief grating.     

Preparation and characterization of a poled nanocrystal and polymer composite PbTiO3/PEKc film for electro-optic applications

Composite thin films of PbTiO₃ nanocrystals and high-transparency PEKc polymer for applications in electro-optical devices were prepared using the spin coating technique. The size of the PbTiO₃ nanocrystals was estimated to be 30–40 nm using a transmission electron microscope. The transmission technique, a simple method for measuring the electro-optic coefficients of poled composite polymer films was developed. The electro-optic coefficient γ₃₃ of poled PbTiO₃/PEKc composite polymer films was measured to be 18.34 pm  V^-1 at 633 nm under room temperature. The index at 633 nm and the dielectric constant at 100 kHz under room temperature were determined to be 1.65248 and 7.32, respectively. The figure of merit F₂=n⁷γ²/ε was estimated to be 1546, showing very good electro-optical properties. Received: 5 February 2002 / Accepted: 12 March 2002 / Published online: 19 July 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +852/2788-7791, E-mail: eeytc@cityu.edu.hk     

Spatial filtering using poled polymer etalon light modulators

Spatial filtering using poled polymer light modulators is studied. The use of a resonator structure is proposed to minimize the driving voltage. Side-chain polymer poly-orange tom-1 isophoronedisocyanate is used as a material. The measured electro-optic coefficient r ₃₃ is 23 pm/V at the wavelength of 633 nm. Spatial filtering of the input images are realized with 30 V applied voltage.     

Low voltage electro-optic polymer light modulator using attenuated total internal reflection

An improved electro-optic (EO) polymer light modulator based on attenuated-total-internal-reflection (ATR) is demonstrated. The modulator consists of a prism–metal–EO-polymer–metal multilayer structure. An applied electric field across the EO polymer layer electrically modulates the energy coupling efficiency of incoming light into guided wave resonance at fixed angles. Compared with conventional ATR modulators based on surface plasmon resonance, the driving voltage for this modulator has been greatly reduced because of the newly chosen working interior angle. It also offers advantages in terms of insertion loss and aperture size over other techniques for the amplitude modulation of a collimated light beam.     

Measurement of the optical transmission modes and losses of the poled guest–host polymer NAEC/PEK-c planar waveguides

The polyetherketone (PEK-c) guest–host polymer planar waveguides doped with (4′-nitro)-3-azo-9-ethyl-carbazole (NAEC) were prepared. The waveguide films were poled by corona-onset poling at elevated temperature (COPET), and the corona poling setup includes a grid voltage making the surface-charge distribution uniform. By using the prism-in coupling method, the dark-line spectrum given by the reflected intensity versus the angle of incidence have been obtained, and the optical transmission losses of mth modes have been measured for the poled polymer waveguides at λ=632.8 nm. The measurement result showed that the optical loss of the fundamental mode is less than 0.7 dB cm⁻¹ for the TE polarization.     

自混合干涉信号的位相调制

自混合干涉因其结构简单、紧凑、稳定且易准直等特点而被广泛应用于测量领域。从自混合干涉和电光晶体调制位相的基本原理出发,通过将电光晶体引入自混合干涉外腔调制,研究了自混合干涉测量中电光晶体的位相调制性能。实验证明,利用晶体的调制性能对自混合干涉信号进行位相调制,在很宽的频率范围内都能保证很高的调制精度,测量误差小,具有很好的应用前景。