Photodefinable electro-optic polymer for high-speed modulators

We present a series of polymeric electro-optic (EO) materials based on the tricyanovinylidenediphenylaminobenzene (TCVDPA) chromophore which exhibits an exceptionally high photostability combined with a high EO activity. The EO properties of these derivatives are given and the best result was obtained with the di-tBut derivative 2, which showed a nearly doubling effect of $r_{33}$ (14 pm/V to 25 pm/V), while increasing the concentration from 25 wt% to 37.5 wt%. A microring resonator design was made based on the PC-TCVDPA system. Waveguides were fabricated by photodefinition of inverted ridges in VSC, a negative epoxy based photoresist with low refractive index.