Evaluation of polymer based third order nonlinear integrated optics devices

Nonlinear polymers are promising materials for high speed active integrated optics devices. In this paper we evaluate the perspectives polymer based nonlinear optical devices can offer. Special attention is directed to the materials aspects. In our experimental work we applied mainly Akzo Nobel DANS side-chain polymer that exhibits large second and third order coefficients. This material has been characterized by third harmonic generation, z-scan and pump-probe measurements. In addition, various waveguiding structures have been used to measure the nonlinear absorption (two photon absorption) on a ps time-scale. Finally an integrated optics Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been realized and evaluated. It is shown that the DANS side-chain polymer has many of the desired properties: the material is easily processable in high-quality optical waveguiding structures, has low linear absorption and its nonlinearity has a pure electronic origin. More materials research has to be done to arrive at materials with higher nonlinear coefficients to allow switching at moderate light intensity (< 1 W peak power) and also with lower nonlinear absorption coefficients.