OPTICAL IQ MODULATOR

摘要

An optical IQ modulator (10) comprising•a modulator input port (11);•a modulator output port (12);•a plurality of optical branches (13) connected in parallel therebetween;•each optical branch (13) comprising an optical interferometer (1), each optical interferometer (1) comprising•an optical splitter (2);•an optical combiner (3); and,•a plurality of optical paths (4) connected therebetween:•at least one electrode (7) arranged in close proximity to an optical path (4) for altering the phase of an optical signal passing along the path (4);•the optical splitter (2) being in being in optical communication with the modulator input port (11) and being adapted to split light received from the modulator input port (11) into the plurality of optical paths (4);•the optical combiner (3) having an optical output port (5) in optical communication with the modulator output port (12), the optical combiner (3) being adapted to combine the optical signals from the plurality of optical paths (4) at the output port (5);•at least one optical interferometer (1) comprising an optical tap (8) adapted to receive and combine the optical signals from the plurality of optical paths (4) in a different phase relation to the combination at the output port (5) of the interferometer combiner (3).

主权项

1. An optical IQ modulator comprising:
a modulator input port; a modulator output port; and a plurality of optical branches connected in parallel between the modulator input and output ports; each optical branch comprising an optical interferometer, each optical interferometer comprising:
an optical splitter;an optical combiner;a plurality of optical paths connected between the optical splitter and combiner; andat least one electrode arranged in close proximity to at least one of the plurality of optical paths for altering the phase of an optical signal passing along the at least one of the plurality of optical paths;the optical splitter being in optical communication with the modulator input port and being adapted to split light received from the modulator input port into the plurality of optical paths;the optical combiner having an optical output port in optical communication with the modulator output port, the optical combiner being adapted to combine optical signals from the plurality of optical paths at the optical output port; at least one of the optical interferometers comprising an optical tap adapted to receive and combine the optical signals from the plurality of optical paths in a different phase relation to the combined optical signals at the output port of the optical combiner.