Integrated-Optic Polarization Controlling Devices Using Electro-Optic Polymers

Integrated-optic polarization controlling devices such as polarizers, polarization splitters, and polarization converters, are proposed and demonstrated in nonlinear optic polymers. Poling-induced birefringence in electro-optic polymers is exploited to fabricate the devices. The polymeric waveguide polarizers show low excess losses, and extinction ratios of 20.7 dB and 17.1 dB for TM-pass and TE-pass polarizers, respectively. The polymeric waveguide polarization splitters exhibit TE-TM mode splittings with crosstalk of 14.2 dB and 10.1 dB for TM and TE mode splittings, respectively. The polymeric waveguide polarization converters show successful TE/TM polarization mode conversion with conversion efficiencies of higher than 30 dB. The device employs poling-induced waveguides which have slowly rotating azimuth angle of optic axis along the light propagation direction. The novel polarization converter is insensitive to wavelength and easier to fabricate than the other polarization converters containing periodic structures.