Electro-optic gating arrangement with improved duty cycle
AssigneeBookham Technology PLC
InventorRobert Griffin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The device includes an oscillator (1) to generate an electrical signal of a predetermined frequency and a signal divider (2) to split the electrical signal into first and second signals. The frequency of the second signal is tripled by tripler (3) and the tripled second signal is recombined with the first signal at signal adder (9) to produce a combined electrical signal. This combined electrical signal drives a Mach-Zehndcr modulator (10).
Claims22
An electro-optical gating device comprising oscillator means to generate an electrical signal of a pre-determined frequency, means to split said electrical signal into first and second signals, means to triple the frequency of said second signal, means to recombine said tripled second signal with said first signal to. produce a combined electrical signal, and modulator means adapted to be driven by said combined electrical signal.
A gating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising adjustable phase shifting means adapted to act on one or each of the first and second signals to provide phase control between said signals.
A gating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising phase inversion means adapted to act on either said harmonic second signal or said fundamental first signal to invert the phase thereof.
A gating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a monolithic microwave integrated circuit, optionally an integrated circuit based on a III-V semi-conductor material, such as gallium arsenide.
A gating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims adapted to generate an optical pulse train output from a continuous optical input.
An electro-optical gating device substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
A method for driving a Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising the steps of generating an electrical signal of a predetermined frequency, splitting said electrical signal into first and second signals, tripling tile frequency of the second signal, recombining the first signal and the tripled second signal to produce a combined electrical signal and applying said combined electrical signal to the modulator as a driving signal.
A method of driving a Mach-Zehnder modulator substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.