Wideband optical modulator with polymer waveguide and drive amplifier integrated on flexible substrate

Abstract

The invention comprises a novel combination of microwave and photonic packaging to arrive a compact, self contained MZI modulator. The nature of the NLO polymer, that is, its large electro-optic coefficient reduces the drive requirements for the integrated power amplifier (202), allowing a small to medium power amplifier to be used. Microwave high density interconnect (HDI) pakcaging techniques allow the medium power amplifier to be fabricated into a small assembly, which can be mounted directly to the MZI substrate. The integrated amplifier and modulator provides a significant reduced size and lower power, and high bandwidth advantage when compared with existing devices based on inorganic materials.

Description

background of the invention

[0001] This disclosure relates to an optoelectronic circuit, in particular to a combination of microwave and photonic components of a small, self-contained Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) modulator.

[0002] Modulation of optical signals at microwave frequencies typically greater than 10 GHz requires external modulation of the laser source to prevent inadvertent modulation of the laser frequency (eg chirping). For this purpose, Mach-Zehnder interferometer structures are often employed to generate optical phase and / or amplitude modulators. One or both arms of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer contain multiple electrodes to allow phase modulation of an optical signal through the electro-optic effect. These electrodes require a driver amplifier to provide the proper electric field to generate the electro-optic effect. The amplifier needs sufficient bandwidth and output capability to drive the reactive load presented by the Mach-Zehnder electrodes. [...

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