In this paper, the basic principle of operation, design issues, limitations, recent developments and emerging research trends on wide-bandwidth lasers and modulators for radio-frequency photonic applications are reviewed. The topics covered are wide-bandwidth lasers, lumped and traveling-wave electroabsorption modulators, traveling-wave LiNbO/sub 3/, GaAs, and polymer modulators.

Wide-bandwidth lasers and modulators for RF photonics

Integrating the input and output waveguides with a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) electro-absorption (EA) optical modulator is shown to achieve ultra-high-speed modulation while keeping the total device length long enough for easy fabrication and packaging. Testing with fabricated modulators showed that a shorter modulation region results in a larger modulation bandwidth. The additional loss due to the waveguide integration was less than 1 dB. An optimized modulator showed a large modulation bandwidth of 50 GHz, a low driving voltage of less than 3 V, and a low insertion loss of 8 dB. A prototype module of this modulator had a bandwidth of greater than 40 GHz. Optimizing the MQW structure makes the modulator insensitive to polarization. These results demonstrate that MQW-EA modulators with integrated waveguides are advantageous in terms of fabrication, packaging, and ultra-high-speed modulation.

Ultra-high-speed multiple-quantum-well electro-absorption optical modulators with integrated waveguides

Publisher Summary The pseudo–linear transmission is a method for the transmission of high-speed time-division multiplexed (TDM) signals where fast variations of each channel waveform with cumulative dispersion allows important averaging of the intrachannel effects of fiber nonlinearity. The pseudo–linear transmission involves complex optimization of modulation format, dispersion mapping, and nonlinearity. These transmissions occupy a space somewhere between dispersion-mapped linear transmission and nonlinear soliton transmission. The pseudo-linear regime of transmission is characterized by a rapid pulse broadening, which results in a dramatic reduction of the solitonic effect on each pulse. As a result, full dispersion compensation can be used in this regime. Extensive analysis of pseudo-linear transmission and reviews of the TDM transmission experiments at 40 and 160 Gb/s have been provided in the chapter. Two new forms of nonlinear interactions between rapidly dispersing pulses namely intrachannel cross–phase modulation (IXPM) and intrachannel four–wave mixing (IFWM) are also presented. These two intrachannel effects are the most important nonlinear interactions in pseudo-linear transmission and determine the dispersion mapping even for the wavelength–division multiplexed (WDM) systems. Further, the chapter describes the semiconductor–based technologies that enable the development of stable and reliable high–speed transmitters and receivers.

Pseudo-Linear Transmission of High-Speed TDM Signals: 40 and 160 Gb/s

In this letter, we have developed a tandem electroabsorption modulator with an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier that is capable of both nonreturn-to-zero and return-to-zero (RZ) data transmission at 40 Gb/s. The tandem modulator consists of a broad-band data encoder and a narrow-band pulse carver. The pulse carver is able to produce 5-ps pulses with more than 20 dB of extinction. The on-chip semiconductor optical amplifier provides up to 8.5 dB of fiber-to-fiber gain and enables the modulator to be operated with zero insertion loss. Devices have been realized with greater than 40-GHz bandwidth, and 13-dB dynamic extinction for a 2.5-V swing. For optimized designs bandwidths of nearly 60 GHz: have been realized. Using these devices penalty free RZ data transmission over a 100-kin dispersion compensated fiber link has been demonstrated with a received power sensitivity of -29 dBm.

40-Gb/s tandem electroabsorption modulator

Monolithically integrated single frequency lasers and electroabsorption modulators are attracting considerable interest as optical sources for long-haul and high-bit-rate fiber-optic links. Their frequency chirpless nature has indeed allowed nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) transmission beyond the chromatic dispersion limit. They also offer a great potential as soliton pulse generators. This paper discusses the many integration schemes devised for their realization with particular emphasis on the identical active layer (IAL) approach. Recent progress in their high-speed applications is reported.

Monolithic integration of multiple-quantum-well lasers and modulators for high-speed transmission

The authors have fabricated a ridge waveguide electroabsorption modulator based on the quantum-confined Stark effect in InGaAsP/InGaAsP multiple quantum wells. The drive voltage for 12-dB extinction ratio is 1.2 V, and the frequency response is flat within 2 dB from DC to 20 GHz. Operation at 20 Gb/s is reported. Extensive data concerning the parasitic phase modulation (chirping) are obtained as a function of applied bias acid operating wavelength. >

20 Gbit/s operation of a high-efficiency InGaAsP/InGaAsP MQW electroabsorption modulator with 1.2-V drive voltage

We report on a MQW electroabsorption modulator with tensile-strained wells. The device transmission is shown to be fully polarization insensitive, i.e. both in amplitude and phase. The modulation efficiency is over 20 GHz/V (bandwidth higher than 20 GHz and 1 V drive voltage) which is the highest figure of merit reported for any kind of polarization insensitive modulator. Full polarization independence is further demonstrated by 2.5 Gb/s transmission at 1.55 /spl mu/m over 475 km of standard fiber without penalty at 10/sup -9/ BER whatever the polarization. >

Full polarization insensitivity of a 20 Gb/s strained-MQW electroabsorption modulator

We report on the integration of two InGaAsP-InGaAsP MQW electroabsorption ridge modulators and an amplifier on the same active layer. The two modulators are separated by a 500-/spl mu/m ridge waveguide optical amplifier, in order to prevent electrical crosstalk, and to compensate for optical losses. The first modulator is used as a soliton generator, and the second codes the generated pulses. The amplifier showed 8.2-dB gain for 120-mA injected current. This allowed a low fiber to fiber insertion loss of 9 dB for the tandem. We present here for the first time to our knowledge, a 20 Gbit/s operation for a tandem-amplifier device, together with transmission experiments. >

20 Gbit/s high-performance integrated MQW TANDEM modulators and amplifier for soliton generation and coding

The chirp parameter α of an electroabsorption Wannier–Stark modulator is measured for the first time, with a new, simple and accurate method. It varies widely from positive to negative values with applied bias. It is shown that a newly-introduced effective chirp parameter is zero as confirmed in a transmission experiment at 10 Gbit/s in a standard fibre.

CHIRP measurement and transmission experiment at 10 Gbit/s with Wannier-Stark modulator

10 Gbit/s transmission over 116 km of standard dispersive fibre has been performed with a simple direct-detection FSK system using a strained-MQW VUG DFB high FM efficiency laser directly driven in a mixed ASK-FSK modulation format. This distance has been extended to 165 km by means of a short length of negative dispersion fibre.

J.F. Kerdiles

Papers

20 Gbit/s operation of a high-efficiency InGaAsP/InGaAsP MQW electroabsorption modulator with 1.2-V drive voltage

Full polarization insensitivity of a 20 Gb/s strained-MQW electroabsorption modulator

20 Gbit/s high-performance integrated MQW TANDEM modulators and amplifier for soliton generation and coding

CHIRP measurement and transmission experiment at 10 Gbit/s with Wannier-Stark modulator

10 Gbit/s transmission experiment over 165 km of dispersive fibre using ASK-FSK modulation and direct detection