ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the paradigm shift in design and utilization of organic electro-optic (OEO) materials that has occurred since 2005 and discusses the potential impact on computing, telecommunications, sensor technologies, metrology, and spectroscopy. It shows that analysis of the performance of OEO technology must be broadened from considering only the features of OEO materials to explicitly include the impact of device architecture on poling efficiency and in-device electro- optic activity. The OEO materials at the time were mainly chromophore-polymer composites and traditional polymers containing covalently incorporated chromophores. OEO materials for device applications are most commonly prepared by electric field poling of macromolecular/polymer materials near the glass transition temperature of the material, although OEO materials have also been prepared by growth of single crystals and by sequential synthesis/self-assembly methods. The electro-optic modulator receives an electronic analog signal that is encoded by the modulator onto the optical waveguide transmission as a phase, amplitude, or IQ modulation.
