High-speed electro-absorption modulators for fiber optic communications

Stefan Irmscher; Robert Lewen; Urban Eriksson; Urban Westergren; Lars Thylen

doi:10.1117/12.522920

25 March 2004 High-speed electro-absorption modulators for fiber optic communications

Stefan Irmscher, Robert Lewen, Urban Eriksson, Urban Westergren, Lars Thylen

Proceedings Volume 5277, Photonics: Design, Technology, and Packaging; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.522920
Event: Microelectronics, MEMS, and Nanotechnology, 2003, Perth, Australia

Abstract

Features such as large bandwidth, low drive voltage, compact size, and feasibility for monolithic laser integration make electro-absorption modulators (EAM) attractive candidates for ultra high-speed fiber-optical time division multiplexing (TDM). EAM with traveling-wave (TW) electrodes have successfully been demonstrated as a way to considerably increase the modulation bandwidth without sacrificing modulation efficiency. However, for reasonable modulation efficiency a low characteristic impedance (≈25Ω) has to be accepted. Termination with a matched load is necessary to benefit from the TW configuration. Thus, TWEAM with continuous impedance-matched transmission lines (TML) provide very high bandwidths, but suffer from high electrical return loss when using a 50Ω driver. A solution to this problem is to split up the modulator and insert passive TML segments between the active parts. The passive segments can be designed for a higher characteristic impedance than the active modulator parts with their inherently low impedance. In this way, the impedance seen at the electrical modulator input can be tailored for values that deliver optimum performance in combination with the available driving electronics (usually 50Ω). Only little bandwidth is sacrificed with the segmented design. Recently, we have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance of segmented TWEAM. These devices exhibit low electrical return loss (<-15dB) and a flat small signal modulation response in the characterized frequency range of 0.04 to 50GHz. 50Gb/s operation is demonstrated. An extinction of 10dB with 3Vp-p is achieved at 40Gb/s.

Citation Download Citation

Stefan Irmscher, Robert Lewen, Urban Eriksson, Urban Westergren, and Lars Thylen "High-speed electro-absorption modulators for fiber optic communications", Proc. SPIE 5277, Photonics: Design, Technology, and Packaging, (25 March 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.522920

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
13 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Modulators

Modulation

Electrodes

Capacitance

Resistors

Signal attenuation

Waveguides

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years