Broadband, low voltage modulators for high speed digital communications

摘要

The development of high-speed networks for long distance communications has produced a need for low chirp transmitter sources to mitigate the effects of dispersion in the fiber. Both electro-absorption as well electro-optic modulators have been used for these applications. We report here the use of new, low-voltage Mach-Zehnder modulators that have halfwave voltages less than 1V, and have a frequency response much larger than traditional LiNbO_3 Mach Zehnder devices.