Electro-optic polymer cladding ring resonator modulators

Compact, low capacitance optical modulators are vital for efficient, high-speed chip to chip optical interconnects. Electro-optic (EO) polymer cladding micro-ring resonator modulators have been fabricated and their performance is characterized. Optical modulators with ring diameters smaller than 50 mu m have been demonstrated in a silicon nitride based waveguide system on silicon oxide with a top cladding of an electro-optic polymer. Optical modulation has been observed with clock signals up to 10 GHz. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America