Electro-Optic Polymer-Based Modulator Design and Performance for 40 Gb/s System Applications

We investigate the potential performance of polymer-based electro- optic modulators for high-speed systems at 40 Gb/s and beyond. General strategies and specific designs are presented to reduce the modulator half-wave drive voltage while maintaining a broadband response. 

In addition, we consider practical system requirements that may allow the relaxation of certain modulator design parameters to further improve performance. Designs are presented that may enable a 3 dB electrical bandwidth of 30 GHz with a single- ended half-wave drive voltage of ~ 1.6 volts assuming an effective electro-optic coefficient of 30 pm/V in the waveguide core.