Mar 20 2008
Lumera Corporation, a leader in the field of photonic communications, announced today that it had received a contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory valued at approximately $2.2 million to fabricate low driving voltage, reliable electro-optic modulators using Lumera's high-performance organic polymers.
“Current concepts of phased array radar and high-performance satellite systems require high-bandwidth electro-optic modulators with low driving voltages and wide bandwidths,” said Dr. Raluca Dinu, Vice President, Electro-Optic Business Unit. “Lumera’s EO devices have made significant strides in reaching these very aggressive goals, and we look forward to meeting the Air Force’s requirements over the course of the contract.”
RF photonics, in which optical components and optical fiber are used to process and distribute high-speed electrical signals, may provide the high bandwidth, reduced weight and size, and the immunity to electromagnetic interference that are crucial for future high-performance satellites and phased array radars. Due to the intrinsic dielectric properties of organic polymers and the great diversity of techniques used to design materials at the molecular level, electro-optic polymer devices are well suited to meeting these challenges.