Time evolution of an electro-optic modulator by detection of its nonlinear behavior

摘要

The stability of an electro-optic modulator has been significantly improved by implementing an original temperature control system. In particular, the evolution of the modulator characteristics can be followed through its nonlinear behavior by detecting the second harmonic of a low-frequency modulation signal; the evolution can be investigated with a higher accuracy by measuring also the phase-shift of this harmonic signal. Two digital boards have been developed with PSOC microcontrollers. The first one is associated with a small power amplifier for the temperature control; the second board is used to analyze the behavior of the electro-optic modulator. By thermal control of the modulator it is possible to reduce significantly the drift of its optical bias point.