Nonlinearities of organic electro-optic materials in nanoscale slots and implications for the optimum modulator design

The performance of highly nonlinear organic electro-optic (EO) materials incorporated into nanoscale slots is examined. It is shown that EO coefficients as large as 190 pm/V can be obtained in 150 nm wide plasmonic slot waveguides but that the coefficients decrease for narrower slots. Possible mechanism that lead to such a decrease are discussed. Monte-Carlo computer simulations are performed, confirming that chromophore-surface interactions are one important factor influencing the EO coefficient in narrow plasmonic slots. These highly nonlinear materials are of particular interest for applications in optical modulators. However, in modulators the key parameters are the voltage-length product UπL and the insertion loss rather than the linear EO coefficients. We show record-low voltage-length products of 70 Vµm and 50 Vµm for slot widths in the order of 50 nm for the materials JRD1 and DLD164, respectively. This is because the nonlinear interaction is enhanced in narrow slot and thereby compensates for the reduced EO coefficient. Likewise, it is found that lowest insertion losses are observed for slot widths in the range 60 to 100 nm.