High repetition rate optical switch using an electroabsorption modulator in TOAD configuration

A novel optical switch featured with high repetition rate, short switching window width, and high contrast ratio is proposed and demonstrated for the first time by placing an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) in a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer (TOAD) configuration. The feasibility and main characteristics of the switch are investigated by numerical simulations and experiments. With this EAM-based TOAD, an error-free return-to-zero signal wavelength conversion with 0.62 dB power penalty at 20 Gbit/s is demonstrated.     

The generation of optical duobinary signal using electroabsorption modulator for optical access networks

We generate the duobinary signal by utilizing the intensity modulation characteristic of the electroabsorption modulator and the phase characteristic of phase shifter for the high-speed transmission system. In addition, compared to those commercial 10 Gbps OOK modulators, lower cost, better performances and easier integration can be achieved by using these duobinary modulators.     

Flexible quadrature amplitude modulation with semiconductor optical amplifier and electroabsorption modulator

Optical quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is experimentally demonstrated with a low-complexity modulator based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and electroabsorption modulator. Flexible amplitude/phase format transmission is achieved. The applicability of octary QAM for coherent optical access networks with sustainable 3 Gb/s per-user bandwidth is investigated for a long reach of 100 km, and its compatibility with a potentially high split is verified.     

采用单边大光腔结构改善电吸收调制器的光场分布

设计并制备了具有单边大光腔结构的半导体电吸收(electroabsorption，EA)调制器.模拟和测试的结果均表明：单边大光腔结构能有效地改善EA调制器的光场分布，使椭圆形的近场光斑变得圆形化，从而达到与圆形模式光纤之间的匹配，有利于提高耦合效率.     

Temperature stabilized optical waveguide modulator

A low drive-voltage optical modulator using a Ti-diffused UNbO₃ optical waveguide has been fabricated. Stabilization against ambient temperature change was realized by using a miniature halfwave plate. The halfwave voltage, 3 dB bandwidth, optical insertion loss and extinction ratio were 3·8 V (at 1·06m wavelength), 850 MHz, 10 dB and 13 dB, respectively. A reduction scheme for the optical absorption caused by metallic electrodes, and an analysis of the modulator high frequency response are also reported.     

Improved dispersion tolerance of an optical duobinary transmitter based on a Mach-Zehnder modulator and an optical delay interferometer

We present a method for improving the dispersion tolerance of an optical duobinary transmitter based on a dual-arm Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator and an optical delay interferometer without electrical low-pass filters. Since such a duobinary modulator using a standard 1-bit delay cannot provide high dispersion tolerance, we investigated the impact of the modulator driving voltages and the bit delay in the interferometer to improve the transmitter’s dispersion tolerance.     

Performance limits of pico-cell systems using radio-over-fiber techniques with an electroabsorption modulator

We investigate the performance limits of a pico-cell system using the radio- over-fiber technique with an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) in a 2.4 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. To understand the performance limits of the system using an EAM as the optical transceiver, we vary the optical modulation index (OMI) of the transmitter for different bias voltages to the EAM. Power margins in the links are found to estimate a possible service range, and packet loss rates (PLRs) in the pico-cell system are measured to evaluate the transmission performance. The total service range can be extended up to 3 m by adjusting the OMI of the transmitter for different applied bias voltages to the EAM.     

Design and optimization of an arbitrarily segmented traveling wave electrode for an ultrahigh speed electroabsorption modulator

The modulation response of an arbitrarily segmented traveling wave electroabsorption modulator (TW-EAM) with a non-periodic electrode layout is analyzed with an effective approach based on the transmission line theory. An optimization method based on a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the segmented electrode with additional capacitive pads for a TW-EAM. Optimized electrode structures are given for 165 μm-length devices under standard 50 Ω RF termination condition and 210 μm-length devices with smaller integrated resistors. Great enhancement of performances in modulation response is achieved as compared to the periodic design reported previously. The simulation with the parameters extracted from measurement results suggests that a 3 dB-bandwidth over 100 GHz could be achieved. The eye diagram from the simulation demonstrates that such devices would be competent for a 100Gb/s optical network.     

Direct measurement of the effective input noise power of an optical parametric amplifier

The spontaneous fluorescence background in optical parametric amplifiers is generally attributed to the zero‐point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. These are amplified in parallel to the seed light and lead to an uncompressible superfluorescence background that deteriorates the contrast in optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers (OPCPA). The absolute level of the underlying parametric fluorescence has not been reported so far. Comparing the fluorescence to low level cw seed light and quantitatively monitoring the output of a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier for both sources, the level is now determined. In a situation of 50 nm visible output bandwidth and low Gaussian spatial modes about 58 photons are found in the signal direction within the femtosecond time window of the amplifier. The superfluorescence level is observed to be proportional to the pump area for constant signal amplification. The implications for the background in high power OPCPA are discussed.     

Nonlinearity of traveling-wave electroabsorption modulator according to microwave characteristics

In this paper, we introduce a model to analyze the linearity of multiple-quantum-well (MQW) traveling-wave electroabsorption modulator (TW-EAM). The device length, microwave loss (ML), velocity mismatch (VM) between lightwaves and the microwaves, and internal reflection (IR) due to impedance mismatch have effect on the linearity of a TW-EAM. ML has little effect on the intermodulation distortions (IMDs). VM also has little influence on IMD3 (third-order IMD), but severely affect IMD2 (second-order IMD), which become as high as 30 dB for the input frequency of 100 GHz, the device length of 0.8 mm, and VM of 20%. IR has different nonlinear characteristics according to the wavelength of the input frequency and the device length. As a result, it is known that IMDs improve when the device length equal to a quarter of the wavelength of the input signal and that the device length of 0.4 mm is appropriate for the analog fiber-optic communication with the frequency range of 50 GHz.     

Conversion wavelength and power dependence of an optical delay system utilizing HNLFs and DCF

Conversion wavelength and power dependence of the time delay and output signal quality for an optical delay system consisting of dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) and highly nonlinear fibers (HNLFs) is investigated in this paper. The numerical results show that the time delay generally varies linearly with the conversion wavelength propagating through DCF and changes slightly with the power launched into HNLFs. But it has abrupt change at some values of conversion wavelength or input power level. Output signal quality of the overall system varies significantly with the conversion wavelength and input power level. The reasons behind these results are analyzed. Finally, the input power level is optimized to achieve linearly varying time delay and desirable output signal quality for an optical delay system.     

Temperature and strain dependence of the power level and frequency of spontaneous Brillouin scattering in optical fibers

The strain dependence of the optical power of Brillouin scattering in optical fibers has been measured for the first time to our knowledge. Together with measurements of the dependence of Brillouin power on temperature and the variation of Brillouin frequency with temperature and strain, we demonstrate, for what we believe to be the first time, the feasibility of a simultaneous temperature and strain sensor based on spontaneous Brillouin scattering.     

Experimental study of NRZ format wavelength conversion using electroabsorption modulator

In this paper, NRZ format wavelength conversion using cross absorption modulation (XAM) in InGaAsP MQW electroabsorption modulator (EAM) is investigated experimentally in detail for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The influence of two key operating parameters, input signal power and bias voltage of EAM, on wavelength conversion performance is studied. Experimental results indicate that there exists optimal bias voltage for fixed input signal power and that there exists also optimal input signal power for fixed bias voltage and the lowest power penalty of 0.9 dB is obtained by optimizing these two parameters. The physical explanations are given for these results based on operating characteristic of EAM device. Finally, the probe light wavelength dependence of wavelength conversion is studied for span of 1530–1560 nm.     

Temperature dependence of radiation-induced attenuation of optical fibers

We investigate the temperature dependence of radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) at 1 310 nm for a Ge/P co-doped fiber after a steady-state γ-ray irradiation.A γ irradiation facility 60Co source is used to irradiate the fiber at a dose rate of 0.5 Gy/min,satisfying a total dose of 100 Gy.The test temperature ranges from-40 to 60℃ by 20℃,and the RIA of the fiber is obtained using a power measuring device.The experimental result demonstrates that RIA exhibits a steady,monotonic,and remarkable temperature dependence after approximately 48h of accelerated annealing at 70℃.The optical fiber irradiated with a high dose and annealed sufficiently can be used as a temperature sensor.     

Analysis and optimization of an InGaAsP/InP waveguide variable optical attenuator

An InGaAsP/InP waveguide variable optical attenuator (VOA) is proposed in this paper. The device consists of straight input and output waveguides and an S-bend waveguide. An electrode is deposited on a portion of the waveguide to form an active region so that its refractive index can be modified by a current injection, resulting in the variation of the transmitted optical power. The beam propagation method is employed in the numerical simulation and the device structure is optimized using a genetic algorithm. The optimized VOA has a low excess loss (<1 dB) and a large dynamic range of about 40 dB.     

Temperature dependence of the optical absorption of free polarons

The temperature dependence of the infrared free polaron absorption in polar semiconductors is investigated for all electron—LO phonon coupling. The spectrum shows a Drude-like background on which a structure due to an internal polaron excitation is superposed.     

Temperature dependence of the refractive index of optical fibers

Many experimental investigations on the temperature dependence of the refractive index of optical fibers have been reported previously, however a satisfying theoretical explanation for it is still absent. In this paper, a theoretical model about the temperature dependence of the refractive index of optical fibers is presented and it is in agreement with the previous experimental results. This work is a significant reference for the research and development of temperature sensors based on optical fiber delay lines.     

Temperature dependence of longitudinal optical phonon lifetimes in GaP

The decay of coherently excited longitudinal optical phonons in GaP has been observed through time delayed coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering measurements with picosecond light pulses. The temperature dependence of the decay is compared to that observed through Raman linewidth measurements and to that predicted theoretically for spontaneous three-phonon decay processes.