Polymer-Based Hybrid-Integrated Photonic Devices for Silicon On-Chip Modulation and Board-Level Optical Interconnects

The accelerating increase in information traffic demands the expansion of optical access network systems that require the cost reduction of optical and photonic components. Low cost, ease of fabrication, and integration capabilities of low optical-loss polymers make them attractive for photonic applications. In addition to passive wave-guiding components, electro-optic (EO) polymers consisting of a polymeric matrix doped with organic nonlinear chromophores have enabled wide-RF-bandwidth and low-power optical modulators. Beside board level passive and active optical components, compact on-chip modulators (a few 100 μm to a few millimeters) have been made possible by hybrid integration of EO polymers onto the silicon platform. This paper summarizes some of the recent progress in polymer-based optical modulators and interconnects. A highly linear, broadband directional coupler modulator for use in analog optical links and compact, and low-power silicon/polymer hybrid slot photonic crystal waveguide modulators for on chip applications are presented. Recently, cost-effective roll-to-roll fabrication of electronic and photonic systems on flexible substrates has been gaining interest. A low-cost imprinted/ink-jet-printed Mach–Zehnder modulator and board-to-board optical interconnects using microlens integrated 45° mirror couplers compatible with the roll-to-roll fabrication platforms are also presented.