VELOCITY-MATCHED, TRAVELING-WAVE ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES USING NON-CONDUCTIVE AND CONDUCTIVE POLYMER BUFFER LAYERS

摘要

An electro-optic device such as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer that includes a lithium niobate substrate having an optical waveguide that is formed in an upper surface of the substrate is described. The device includes a polymer buffer layer formed on the upper surface of the substrate. The polymer may be non-conductive or conductive. An electrode is formed on an upper surface of the buffer layer and is positioned to receive an RF signal that induces an electrical field in the optical waveguide. A conductive charge bleed-off layer may be formed between the buffer layer and the electrode in order to bleed-off pyroelectric charge. A semiconductor charge bleed-off layer may be formed between the substrate and the buffer layer.