RESONANT OPTICAL MODULATOR WITH ZERO CHIRP

摘要

An external resonant optical modulator (30) is provided by forming a waveguide electrode structure coupled to a coplanar strip or coplanar waveguide pattern including a ring resonator electrode (36) and a ground electrode (32) substantially surrounding the ring resonator electrode (36) . These electrode patterns are disposed on an electrooptic substrate that includes an optical waveguide pattern. The waveguide electrode structure includes an RF feed line electrode (34) coupled to the ring electrode (36) . The RF feed line signal excites an inherent resonant mode of the ring to thereby cause an electric field to resonate between the ring electrode (36) and ground electrode (32) and pass into sections of the optical waveguide pattern (12) . By appropriately positioning the ring and ground electrodes to overlay portions of the optical waveguide structure in the electrooptic substrate, a light beam launched into the waveguide pattern can be modulated to produce a pulse with zero chirp. The resonant modulator may be used in communication systems, such as a DWDM system, and may be formed as an individual device, or cascaded in series or parallel fashion with a plurality of optical modulators and other optical devices on a common electrooptic substrate.