Broadband electro-absorption optical modulator using on-chip RF input signal termination
AssigneeII-Vi Delaware, Inc.
InventorsAndrei Kaikkonen, David Adams, Robert Lewen, Nicolae Chitica
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electro-absorption modulator (EAM) is configured to include an on-chip AC ground plane that is used to terminate the high frequency RF input signal within the chip itself. This on-chip ground termination of the modulation input signal improves the frequency response of the EAM, which is an important feature when the EAM needs to support data rates in excess of 50 Gbd. By virtue of using an on-chip ground for the very high frequency signal content, it is possible to use less expensive off-chip components to address the lower frequency range of the data signal (i.e., for frequencies less than about 1 GHz).
Claims8
An electro-absorption optical modulator, comprising:
- a substrate;
- an electro-absorption modulating (EAM) device formed on the substrate, the EAM device having an optical input for receiving a continuous wave (CW) optical signal, an optical output for emitting a modulated optical output signal;
- an RF input signal path coupled to the EAM device for providing a modulated electrical input signal to the EAM device;
- an on-chip AC ground plane disposed on the substrate;
- and
- a resistive RF signal termination path coupled between the on-chip AC ground plane and the RF input signal path, the on-chip AC ground plane terminating a high frequency portion of the modulated electrical input signal.
An electro-absorption modulated laser, comprising:
- a laser diode source biased to emit a CW optical beam;
- and
- a substrate;
- an electro-absorption modulating (EAM) device formed on the substrate, the EAM device having an optical input for receiving the CW optical beam from the laser diode source, and an optical output for emitting a modulated optical output signal;
- an RF input signal path coupled to the EAM device for providing a modulated electrical input signal to the EAM device;
- an on-chip AC ground plane disposed on the substrate;
- and
- a resistive RF signal termination path coupled between the on-chip AC ground plane and the RF input signal path, the on-chip AC ground plane terminating a high frequency portion of the modulated electrical input signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.