Electroabsorption Modulators(电吸收调制器).pdf

Electroabsorption Modulators R. Sankaralingam EE 698 Optical Modulation n Direct modulation ® Output frequency shifts with drive signal n Carrier induced (chirp) n Temperature variation due to carrier modulation ® Limited extinction ratio n Indirect or External modulation ® Electro-optic modulation n Change optical path length with applied electric field ® Electroabsorption modulation n Change amount of light absorbed with applied electric field ® Finite insertion loss (6-7 dB) Advantages of EA modulator n Zero biasing voltage n Low driving voltage n Low/negative chirp n High speed n Lesser polarization dependence n Integration with DFB laser n Allows a single optical power source to be used for large number of information carrying beams Electroabsorption modulator n Mechanisms ® Franz-Keldysh effect n Observed in conventional bulk semiconductors ® Quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) n Quantum well structures n Both of these electroabsorption effects are prominent near the bandgap of semiconductors Franz-Keldysh effect Tunneling allows overlap of electron and hole wavefunctions for photon energy less than bandgap 1/ 2 -1 Ê-4 3 / 2 ˆ a = K (E ) (8b) expÁ b ˜ Ë 3 ¯ where, 1/ 3 Ê 2 2 2 ˆ q E h E = Á * ˜ Ë 2mr ¯ e - hw b = g E † Excitonic electroabsorption (Stark effect) n Excitonic effects gives rise to a step-like rise in absorption spectra n Formation of excitons manifests themselves as a series of sharp resonances near the bandgap energy n Formed in very pure semiconductors at low