New Organic Polymers to Replace Crystalline Optical Materials

How it Works

Lumera, which acquired electro-optic polymer intellectual property in early 2000, worked to develop and market products based on its purchased know-how. Today the company is offering a 40-gigabit-per-second (Gbps) electro-optic polymer modulator for optical-transmission systems.

Ten-gigabit modulators have been the norm using crystalline optics, with current technology requiring four 10-Gbps modulators in series to do the same job as Lumera’s one device. Lumera also introduced a 100-Gbps modulator, the first of its kind in the world, in November 2007. These new modulators combine the fastest switching speeds with the lowest drive voltages (thus low heat) and optical losses in the industry, occupy a small footprint, and also offer frequency ranges (35-140 GHz) not available with current crystalline materials, enabling the creation of systems that can keep pace with the ever-increasing quest for more bandwidth.

Lumera recently introduced its Millimeter-Wave Com - munication System. The new product is a full-featured system that makes use of E/O modulators, and it is now poised to address the growing need for wireless ultra-high-data-rate transfer for satellite communications, wireless enterprise networks, and extending existing fiber networks. The system can switch between frequencies as needed, offering security against interception, interference, and some forms of denial-of-service. This capability also serves to improve reliability and robustness, and to increase throughput when multiple frequencies are used simultaneously.

Where it Stands

On the strength of a “disruptive” technology, Lumera transformed from a start-up in 2000 to an initial public offering in 2004. Lumera is looking to partner in new ventures to effect adoption of new materials.

More Information

For more information on Lumera’s electro-optic polymers, click here. (By Joan Zimmermann/NTTC; Source: MDA TechUpdate, Missile Defense Agency, National Technology Transfer Center Washington Operations.)