DYNAMIC BIAS VOLTAGE CONTROL FOR OPTICAL MACH-ZEHNDER MODULATORS

摘要

Methods and apparatus for finding a bias voltage (20) corresponding to a quadrature point of an optical modulator, the modulator comprising a biasable component which is configurable to be biased by application of the bias voltage (20) such that the modulator operates at quadrature, the method comprising: providing a target for the output power of the modulator which corresponds to quadrature; applying, to the biasable component, a bias voltage (20) having an initial value; thereafter, finding a value for the bias voltage (20) that biases the biasable component such that the output power of the modulator is within a pre-defined range of the target by, starting at the initial value, alternately increasing and decreasing (or decreasing and increasing) the bias voltage (20) with gradually increasing amplitude; and identifying the found value for the bias voltage (20) as a bias voltage corresponding to a quadrature point of the optical modulator.