Free space millimeter wave-coupled electro-optic high speed nonlinear polymer phase modulator with in-plane slotted patch antennas.

We report in-plane slotted patch antenna-coupled electro-optic phase modulators with a carrier-to-sideband ratio (CSR) of 22 dB under an RF power density of 120 W/m(2) and a figure of merit of 2.0 W(-1/2) at the millimeter wave frequencies of 36-37 GHz based on guest-host type of second-order nonlinear polymer SEO125. CSR was improved more than 20 dB by using a SiO(2) protection layer. We demonstrate detection of 3 GHz modulation of the RF carrier. We also derive closed-form expressions for the modulated phase of optical wave and carrier-to-sideband ratio. Design, simulation, fabrication, and experimental results are discussed.

Probing limits on spatial resolution using nonlinear optical effects and nonclassical light.

Using a simple optical setup to detect and characterize transmission gratings in the far field, we demonstrate that going beyond the diffraction limit is not possible using linear interaction of nonclassical illumination with the target grating. We also confirm that nonlinear optical interactions with the target grating, or with the optical medium around it, do allow improvement in resolution.

Demonstration of balanced coherent detection using polymer optical waveguide integrated distributed traveling-wave photodetectors.

We have demonstrated balanced coherent detection using distributed balanced traveling-wave photodetectors integrated with single mode polymer optical waveguides. Balanced distributed traveling-wave photodetectors having 3 dB bandwidth of 20 GHz exhibited 20 dB signal to noise ratio improvement measured at 15 GHz modulation frequency in a balanced coherent detection demonstration.

Aperture-coupled MIM plasmonic ring resonators with sub-diffraction modal volumes.

We propose and investigate ultracompact aperture-coupled plasmonic ring resonators with submicron bending radii based on strongly-confined metal-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguides. Enhanced coupling can be obtained via diffraction by small apertures having typical widths between 50-100 nm in the metallic sidewall between the ring and bus waveguides. Both analytical model and rigorous FDTD simulations show that 500 nm-radius ring resonators can be obtained with low insertion loss, wide free spectral range and sub-diffraction cavity volume of less than 0.1(lambda(0)/n(eff))(3).

Polarization eccentricity of the transverse field for modes in chiral core planar waveguides.

The general solution for modes in an asymmetric planar waveguide with a homogeneous and isotropic chiral core is given in terms of a pair of parameters related to the eccentricity of the polarization ellipse for the transverse electric field. This formulation provides insight into the transition, with increasing chirality of the core, from TE/TM modes to right-handed and left-handed circular polarization modes. Mode polarization as a function of waveguide thickness and of frequency is discussed in detail. Beyond a mode-dependent maximum thickness (or frequency), the left-handed elliptical modes consist of a slow-wave component whose cutoff properties are examined. The limiting case of a symmetric waveguide is also discussed.