Monolithic Optoelectronic Transmitters with New Bistable Sub-Wavelength Optical Components

"New bistable organic infrared (IR)-absorbing materials with extremely intense absorbance and reflectance across the entire 1300 to 1700 nm optical band and with picosecond-speed reversible switching to a non-absorbing and non-reflecting state are exploitedto make sub-wavelength (less than 1.5 microns) optical components for integration into optoelectronic transmitters. Both switching states are very stable thermally and photolytically. The bistable IR-absorbing materials will be utilized to makesub-wavelength modulators and dynamic splitters and to integrate them into a reconfigurable modulator array where the optical signal from the laser may be dynamically directed to one or more selected output destinations. Materials based on thenon-absorbing state of the bistable IR-absorbing materials will be evaluated for making polymer waveguides. The reconfigurable modulator array will be made with the polymer waveguide materials, or alternatively with sol gel optical waveguides, into amonolithic reconfigurable modulator array suitable for integration with a laser. This reconfigurable modulator array design will be used to propose a reconfigurable optical transmitter including both the reconfigurable modulator array and a laser thatincorporates the bistable organic IR-absorbing materials as the active lasing material. The sub-wavelength reconfigurable modulator array of this proposal would overcome the large modulator size and the infle