Low-V? electro-optic modulator with a high-?? chromophore and a constant-bias field

A low half-wave voltage $V_{\pi }$ of 1.57 V was obtained with a 2-cm-long birefringent polymer waveguide modulator at a wavelength of $1.3 \mathit{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ by use of a modulator design with a constant-bias electric field and a high-$\mathit{\mu }\beta$ chromophore. The design allows the maximum achievable electro-optic coefficient of the material to be utilized. This electro-optic coefficient can be more than twice as high as the residue value that is used by conventional modulator designs, after fast partial relaxation following poling.