Systematic development of high bandwidth, low drive voltage organic electro-optic devices and their applications

Organic electro-optic (EO) materials have recently been prepared that exhibit EO coefficients in the range of 60-100 pm/V at the telecommunications wavelengths of 1.3 and 1.55 mum. The demonstration of devices with low drive voltage (0.8-2.0 V), together with high bandwidths (40-100 GHz) and low insertion loss (< 6 0), has increased interest in organic EO materials. This has particularly been the case because exclusion of oxygen has led to significantly improved photochemical stability for such materials. The excellent processability of organic EO materials has facilitated the production of a number of new prototype devices and the demonstration of integrated optoelectronic systems containing a number of organic EO modulators. Advances in condensed matter theory that have led to the design of new materials are reviewed and the preparation of several new materials are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.