Mach-Zehnder optical modulator having a travelling wave electrode with a distributed ground bridging structure
AssigneeTeraxion Inc.
InventorsKelvin Prosyk, Ian Nicholas Woods
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Mach-Zehnder optical modulator with a travelling wave electrode having one or more signal transmission line conductors and one or more ground transmission line conductors is provided. The modulator includes a ground strip conductor extending substantially in parallel to the ground transmission line conductors, and a distributed bridging structure electrically connecting the ground strip conductor and at least one of the ground transmission line conductors along a substantial portion of a length thereof. The distributed bridging structure may be embodied by a plurality of electrical connections at disposed regularly spaced intervals.
Claims23
A Mach-Zehnder optical modulator for modulating an input optical beam according to an electrical modulation signal, the Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising an optical structure dividing the input optical beam into two optical beam components propagating in two optical waveguides branches, respectively, and recombining said optical beam components downstream the optical waveguides branches, the Mach-Zehnder modulator further comprising:
- a travelling wave electrode modulating a relative phase of the optical beam components, said travelling wave electrode comprising a signal transmission line conductor coupled to one of the optical waveguide branches and conveying the input electrical signal, and a ground transmission line conductor providing a return path for the input electrical signal;
- a ground strip conductor extending substantially in parallel to the ground transmission line conductor;
- and
- a distributed bridging structure electrically connecting the ground strip conductor and the ground transmission line conductor along a substantial portion of a length thereof.
A Mach-Zehnder optical modulator for modulating an input optical beam according to an electrical modulation signal, the Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising an optical structure dividing the input optical beam into two optical beam components propagating in two optical waveguides branches, respectively, and recombining said optical beam components downstream the optical waveguides branches, the Mach-Zehnder modulator further comprising:
- a travelling wave electrode modulating a relative phase of the optical beam components, said travelling wave electrode comprising a pair of signal transmission line conductors each coupled to a respective one of the optical waveguide branches and conveying the input electrical signal, and a pair of ground transmission line conductors each providing a return path for the input electrical signal, the pair of signal transmission line conductors being positioned between the ground transmission line conductors;
- a ground strip conductor extending substantially in parallel to the ground transmission line conductors;
- and
- a distributed bridging structure electrically connecting the ground strip conductor and at least one of the ground transmission line conductors along a substantial portion of a length thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.