40-gb/s EA modulators with wide temperature operation and negative chirp

Broad bandwidth external modulators are widely used in optical fiber networks to avoid the chirp associated with the direct modulation of laser diode sources. For transmission application beyond 10 Gb/s, electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) offer many advantages such as low drive voltage, low chirp characteristics, small size, and added functionality through integration with a distributed feedback laser. In this letter, we present static and dynamic characterization of an EAM demonstrating the possibility to have with the same device uncooled operation at 40 Gb/s and negative chirp at low negative bias. These features are attractive for cost reduction in short link applications and for long-haul transmission. All the measurements are performed at 40 Gb/s from room temperature up to 60/spl deg/C demonstrating a negative chirp behavior for the stand-alone modulator over the entire temperature range.     

360/spl deg/ Varactor Linear Phase Modulator

Theory is presented which 1) derives the circuit impedance requirements to match the nonlinearity of the varactor reactance-versus-voltage curve to the tangent /spl theta/ curve to obtain 180/spl deg/ linear phase modulation from one diode; 2) gives the value and position of a resistor to make insertion loss invariant with phase; and 3) derives the circuit requirements for combining two 180/spl deg/ diode phase moduIators in an admittance adding network to obtain 360/spl deg/ phase modulation. Experiments are disclosed rising series tuning at 1 GHz providing 360/spl deg/ phase modulation within /spl plusmn/ 3.0 percent of linearity, and using shunt tuning at 5 GHz providing 360/spl deg/ phase modulation within /spl plusmn/ 3.3 percent of linearity. A discussion is given of the application of the modulators to the serrodyne function.     

Optical label encoding using electroabsorption modulators and investigation of chirp properties

A novel scheme of optical label encoding by wavelength conversion based on electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) is reported. Based on the experimental observations, the chirp properties of the wavelength-converted signal are discussed and a wide dynamic range of the chirp /spl alpha/-parameter is found allowed. Compared with cross-gain modulation (XGM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), the EAM has several advantages, which make it attractive for optical label encoding or other applications as a wavelength converter.     

Bias point thermal shift growth in Z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ Modulators

Growth of a bias point thermal shift induced by dc bias in z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ optical intensity modulators is quantitatively discussed from the standpoint of its impact on field service. During 20 years of device operation under a worst-case dc bias condition, the thermal shift slope grows almost symmetrically with respect to a bias polarity. An initial small thermal shift of around /spl plusmn/7 mV//spl deg/C (3/spl sigma/ distribution bounds) increases continuously over time with biased operation at 55/spl deg/C and approaches /spl plusmn/70 mV//spl deg/C after 20 years. This increased temperature sensitivity would generate approximately a 2-V bias point shift toward the bias rail when modulator is exposed to temperature variation from 55/spl deg/C to 25/spl deg/C.     

Simple model for a distributed feedback laser integrated with a Mach-Zehnder modulator

Presents a time-domain traveling-wave algorithm for the modeling of the large-signal dynamic response of a distributed feedback laser integrated with a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator. The influence of residual optical feedback from the output of the modulator facet on the dynamic frequency chirp is studied. It is found that the difference in frequency chirp between the turn-on and -off states (i.e., adiabatic chirp) of a /spl pi//2-shifted 2 /spl times/2 MZ modulator is minimal and is independent of-the residual optical feedback. In addition, it can be shown that the presence of chirped frequency spikes (i.e., transient chirp), due to the change in refractive index as a result of the rapid variation of the bias voltage, can broaden the linewidth and distort the spectrum of the modulated optical signal. Furthermore, the possibility of doubling the modulation frequency of MZ modulators using a dual-arm dual-signal modulation format is investigated.     

Low-chirp and external optical feedback resistant characteristics in /spl lambda//8 phase-shifted distributed-feedback laser diodes under direct modulation

Clarifies that phase shift value in directly modulated distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB-LDs) affects their chirp characteristics and resistance to external optical feedback because of the feedback effect of mirror loss (FEML). Comparing /spl lambda//8, /spl lambda//4, and 3//spl lambda/8 phase-shifted DFB-LDs, theoretically and experimentally, showed that the negative FEML in /spl lambda//8 phase-shifted DFB-LDs improves their transmission performance and makes them more resistant to external optical feedback. It was demonstrated with 2.5-Gb/s directly modulated 1.55-/spl mu/m /spl lambda//8 phase-shifted DFB-LDs that a very low-power penalty for 100-km transmissions (less than 1 dB for BER=10/sup -10/) can be obtained within a wide extinction ratio from 8.5 to 14.5 dB. Excellent resistance to optical feedback was also demonstrated using /spl lambda//8 phase-shifted DFB-LDs: isolator-free 80-km transmission was successful under -14-dB external optical feedback. In addition, the relation of transmission characteristics to coupling coefficient /spl kappa/L and detuning between oscillation wavelength and gain maximum was also discussed here for designing low chirp /spl lambda//8 phase-shifted DFB-LDs.     

Bias stability of OC48 x-cut lithium-niobate optical modulators: four years of biased aging test results

Long-term 100/spl deg/C and 85/spl deg/C biased aging tests on OC48 x-cut lithium-niobate optical intensity modulators have been run for four years. The 100/spl deg/C test results clearly show that the bias voltage does not exhibit the conventional catastrophic growth curve, but rather peaks between 10 000 and 35 000 h at levels well below typically used bias voltage rails (/spl plusmn/12 V). This promises a very high reliability for these x-cut lithium-niobate modulators for long-term bias-drift failure mode. Using the data, a bias-drift failure rate under ordinary operation conditions, 20 years at 40/spl deg/C, is estimated to be <1 failures in time with activation energy of 1.2 eV.     

High-efficiency 1.3 /spl mu/m InAsP-GaInP MQW electroabsorption waveguide modulators for microwave fiber-optic links

High-efficiency electroabsorption waveguide modulators have been designed and fabricated using strain-compensated InAsP-GaInP multiple quantum wells at 1.32-/spl mu/m wavelength. A typical 200-/spl mu/m-long modulator exhibits a fiber-to-fiber optical insertion loss of 9 dB and an optical saturation intensity larger than 10 mW. The 3-dB electrical bandwidth is in excess of 20 GHz with a 50-/spl Omega/ load termination. When used in an analog microwave fiber-optic link without amplification, a RF link efficiency as high as -38 dB is achieved at 10 mW input optical carrier power. These analog link characteristics are the first reported using MQW electroabsorption waveguide modulators at 1.32 /spl mu/m.     

A photonic-link millimeter-wave mixer using cascaded optical modulators and harmonic carrier generation

Efficient frequency conversion into and out of the millimeter wave frequency band has been demonstrated using photonic link signal mixing with cascaded optical modulators. By adjusting the modulator bias point and RF drive power to the modulator introducing the local oscillator signal at f/sub LO/=8.8 GHz, frequency conversions from f/sub s/ to f/sub LO//spl plusmn/f/sub s/, sf/sub LO//spl plusmn/f/sub s/, and 4f/sub LO//spl plusmn/f/sub s/ with respective losses of 4.8, 6.3, and 7.5 dB have been demonstrated. The direct phase noise measurement of the optical RF signal at 2f/sub LO/=17.6 GHz with 1 kHz offset shows -89 dBc/Hz, limited by the RF drive source.     

Ridged LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators fabricated by a novel oxygen-ion implant/wet-etch technique

This paper demonstrates a new ion implantation and wet-etch technique for fabricating high-quality ridged optical waveguides for high-speed LiNbO/sub 3/-based optical modulators. In addition, the paper demonstrates the fabrication of optical waveguide ridges >3 /spl mu/m in height with 90/spl deg/, and even re-entrant sidewall angles for the first time. The modeling used indicates that 90/spl deg/ (and re-entrant) sidewall ridges can reduce the required modulator drive voltage by 10-20% over modulators with conventional trapezoidal ridge profiles fabricated with reactive ion etching. A 40-Gb/s modulator with a 30-GHz bandwidth, 5.1-V switching voltage at 1 GHz, and a 4.8-dB optical insertion loss is fabricated using the ion implantation/wet-etch process. Fabricated devices showed good stability against accelerated aging, indicating that this process could be used for commercial purposes.     

Electroabsorption modulator using intersubband transitions in GaN-AlGaN-AlN step quantum wells

We calculate the high-speed modulation properties of an electroabsorption modulator for /spl lambda/=1.55 /spl mu/m based on Stark shifting an intersubband resonance in GaN-AlGaN-AlN step quantum wells. In a realistic simulation assuming an absorption linewidth /spl Gamma/=100 meV we obtain an RC-limited electrical f/sub 3dB//spl sim/60 GHz at an applied voltage swing V/sub pp/=2.8 V. We also show that a small negative effective chirp parameter suitable for standard single-mode fiber is obtained and that the absorption is virtually unsaturable. The waveguide is proposed to be based on the plasma effect in order to simultaneously achieve a strong confinement of the optical mode, a low series resistance, and lattice-matched cladding and core waveguide layers. Extrapolated results reflecting the decisive dependence of the high-speed performance on the intersubband absorption linewidth /spl Gamma/ are also given. At the assumed linewidth the modulation speed versus signal power ratio is on a par with existing lumped interband modulators based on the quantum confined Stark effect.     

The role of high growth temperature GaAs spacer layers in 1.3-/spl mu/m In(Ga)As quantum-dot lasers

We investigate the mechanisms by which high growth temperature spacer layers (HGTSLs) reduce the threshold current of 1.3-/spl mu/m emitting multilayer quantum-dot lasers. Measured optical loss and gain spectra are used to characterize samples that are nominally identical except for the HGTSL. We find that the use of the HGTSL leads to the internal optical mode loss being reduced from 15 /spl plusmn/ 2 to 3.5 /spl plusmn/ 2 cm/sup -1/, better defined absorption features, and more absorption at the ground state resulting from reduced inhomogenous broadening and a greater dot density. These characteristics, together with a reduced defect density, lead to greater modal gain at a given current density.     

High-speed AJL8/APC polymer modulator

High-speed polymer modulators were fabricated using low-V/sub /spl pi// AJL8 chromophore in amorphous polycarbonate, and highly calibrated frequency response measurements were obtained using convenient coplanar-microstrip transitions. These Mach-Zehnder modulators show good frequency response to 50 GHz, with a loss and velocity mismatch-limited V/sub /spl pi// at 50 GHz <12 V. The measurements establish AJL8 as an excellent candidate for future military analog optical links.     

Wide temperature range, from 0 to 85/spl deg/C, operation of a 1.55 /spl mu/m, 40 Gbit/s InGaAlAs electro-absorption optical modulator

Wide temperature range, from 0 to 85/spl deg/C, operation of 1.55 /spl mu/m, 40 Gbit/s InGaAlAs multiple quantum well electro-absorption optical modulators is demonstrated for the first time.     

Transmission performance of 10-Gb/s optical duobinary transmissionsystems considering adjustable chirp of nonideal LiNbO3Mach-Zehnder modulators due to applied voltage ratio and filterbandwidth

We investigate interplay between the residual and applied chirp of optical duobinary modulated signals in order to improve transmission performance. To find the best performance for 10-Gb/s optical duobinary transmission systems, we consider the residual chirp accompanying from the finite extinction ratio, the applied chirp adjusted by the applied voltage ratio (the chirp parameter) between two electrodes of LiNbO₃ modulators, and the bandwidth of electrical low-pass filters used in duobinary transmitters. The simulation results suggest that nearly zero chirp during the mark (`1') period and large peak chirp at the middle of the space (`0') provide the best transmission performance. This zero chirp around marks and high peak chirp at the middle of each space can be controlled by the applied voltage ratio between two electrodes of modulator and the filter bandwidth, respectively     

The effect of barrier composition on the vertical carrier transport and lasing properties of 1.55-/spl mu/m multiple quantum-well structures

In this paper, the effect of barrier bandgap and composition on the optical performance of 1.55-/spl mu/m InGaAsP/InGaAsP and InGaAsP/InGaAlAs multiple quantum-well structures and Fabry-Perot lasers is evaluated experimentally. Direct vertical carrier transport measurements were performed through strain-compensated multiple quantum-well (MQW) test structures using femto-second laser pulse excitation and time-resolved photoluminescence up-conversion method. MQW test structures were grown with different barrier composition (InGaAsP and InGaAlAs) and barrier bandgap (varied from /spl lambda//sub g/= 1440 to 1260 nm) having different conduction band /spl Delta/E/sub c/ and valence band discontinuity /spl Delta/E/sub v/, while keeping the same InGaAsP well composition for all the structures. The ambipolar carrier transport was found to be faster in the structures with lower valence band discontinuity /spl Delta/E/sub v/. Regrown semi-insulating buried heterostructure Fabry-Perot (SIBH-FP) lasers were fabricated from similar QWs and their static light-current-voltage characteristics (including optical gain and chirp spectra below threshold) and thermal characteristics were measured. Lasers with InGaAlAs barrier showed improved high-temperature operation, higher optical gain, higher differential gain, and lower chirp, making them suitable candidates for high-bandwidth directly modulated uncooled laser applications.     

Continuous-time /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators using distributed resonators

We derive a method for using distributed resonators in /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators and demonstrate these /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators have several advantages over existing /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulator architectures. Like continuous-time (CT) /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators, the proposed /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators do not require a high-precision track-and-hold, and additionally can take advantage of the high-Q of distributed resonators. Like discrete-time /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators, the proposed /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators are relatively insensitive to feedback loop delays and can subsample. We present simulations of several types of these /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulators and examine the challenges in their design.     

An optimized InGaAsP/InP polarization converter employing asymmetric rib waveguides

In this paper, we report on the design of a compact (/spl ap/ 226 /spl mu/m) on-chip InGaAsP/InP polarization converter based on an asymmetric rib waveguide. Our theoretical analysis demonstrates that the device displays a conversion efficiency of < -25 dB (> 99.68% power conversion between orthogonal polarization) at 1550-nm wavelength with a nearly flat response over the optical C band. Regarding fabrication tolerances, we predict that the most sensitive design parameter is the waveguide width as the conversion efficiency drops to 10 dB for a deviation of /spl plusmn/ 0.1 /spl mu/m from the optimized value.     

Compact polarization-insensitive InGaAsP-InP 2 /spl times/ 2 optical switch

We demonstrate a simple, compact, high-contrast ratio, and low-loss polarization-insensitive InGaAsP-InP 2 /spl times/ 2 optical switch with an operational wavelength range from 1520 to 1580 nm. The switch is 1.3 mm long by 160 /spl mu/m wide. The on-off contrast ratio is within (21/spl plusmn/2) dB over the temperature range from 16/spl deg/C to 64/spl deg/C, the polarization sensitivity is <2 dB, and the propagation loss is (3/spl plusmn/2) dB in both the ON and OFF states, making it potentially useful for optical cross-connects, delay lines, and add-drop multiplexers.     

A 14-bit high-temperature /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulator in standard CMOS

Experimental verification is given for the use of /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulation for high-temperature applications (/spl ges/approximately 150/spl deg/C) in a standard CMOS process. Switched-capacitor circuits are used to implement a second-order single-stage and a third-order 2-1 MASH /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulator with single-bit quantization. The two modulators have an oversampling ratio of 256 with an input signal bandwidth of 500 Hz. The modulators were fabricated in a 1.5-/spl mu/m standard CMOS technology. A fully differential signal path and near minimum sized switches are used to mitigate the effect of large junction-to-substrate leakage current present at high temperatures. Experimental results show both modulators are capable of over 14 bits of resolution at 225/spl deg/C and over 13 bits of resolution at 255/spl deg/C. Results show that the single-stage modulator is more resistant to high-temperature circuit impairment than is the MASH cascaded structure.