Abstract
In the condition of velocity matching and impedance matching, Mach–Zehnder modulator can obtain large bandwidth and low driving voltage. Based on Wheeler’s transformation of multilayer microstrip line, effective permittivity of microwave has been analyzed. Both the microwave index and characteristic impedance are affected by the thickness and the width of microstrip electrode. In order to achieve velocity matching and impedance matching simultaneously, a compensation layer is placed on the electrode. The optimal thicknesses of the electrode and the compensation layer as well as the width of electrode have been obtained. Based on single-mode condition, an asymmetric Mach–Zehnder modulator (AMZM) has been designed and simulated by effective index method and finite-difference beam propagation method (FD-BPM). The initial phase difference between the two arms of the modulator has been achieved 0.522π in the linear region. Comparing with the typical MZM, AMZM can get a larger value of f 3dB , increased by 67.32%.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
DeRose C.T., Mathine D., Enami Y., Norwood Robert A., Luo J., Jen Alex K.-Y., Peyghambarian N.: Electrooptic polymer modulator with single-mode to multimode waveguide transitions. IEEE Photon Technol. Lett. 20, 1051–1053 (2003)
Dinu R., Jin D., Yu G., Chen B., Huang D., Chen H., Barklund A., Miller E., Wei C., Vemagiri J.: Environmental stress testing of electro-optic polymer modulators. J. Lightw. Technol. 27, 1527–1532 (2009)
Enami Y., Mathine D., DeRose C.T., Norwood R.A., Luo J., Jen A.K.-Y., Peyghambarian N.: Hybrid cross-linkable polymer/sol-gel waveguide modulators with 0.65 V half wave voltage at 1550 nm. Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 093505-1–093505-3 (2007)
Gorman T., Haxha S., Ju J.J.: Ultra-high-speed etched electroopic polymer modulator with cross section. J. Lightw. Technol. 27, 68–76 (2008)
Kim T.D., Kang J.W., Luo J., Jang S.H., Ka J.W., Tucker N.M., Benedict J.B., Dalton R., Gray T., Overney R.M., Park D.H., Herman W.N., Jen A.K.Y.: Ultra-large and thermally stable electro-optic activities from supramolecular self-assembled molecular glasses. J. Amer. Chem. Soc 129, 488–489 (2007)
Lee M., Katz H.E., Erben C. et al.: Broadband modulation of light by using an electro-optic polymer. Science 298, 1401–1403 (2002)
Minakata M.: Recent progress of 40- GHz high-speed LiNbO3 optical modulator in Active and Passive Optical Components for WDM Communication. Proc. SPIE 4532, 16–27 (2001)
Peng H., Wu B., Song Q., Lu F., Luo S.: Hybrid electrodes used in polymer electro-optic modulator with ultra-broadband. Int. J. Infrared Milli. 24, 1587–1596 (2003)
Pogossian S.P., Vescan L., Vonsovici A.: The single-mode condition for semiconductor rib waveguide with large cross section. J. Lightw. Technol. 16, 1851–1853 (1998)
Soref R.A., Schmidtchen J., Petermann K.: Large single mode rib waveguides in GeSi-Si and Si-on-SiO2. IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 27, 1971–1994 (1991)
Wheeler H.A.: Transmission line properties of parallel wide strips by a conformal mapping approximation. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. MTT-12, 280–283 (1964)
Wheeler H.A.: Transmission line properties of parallel strips separated by a dielectric sheet. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. MTT-13, 172–175 (1965)
Zhang C., Dalton L.R.: Low V_electro-optic modulators from CLD-1: chromophore design and synthesis, material processing and characterization. Chem. Mater. 13, 3043–3050 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wen, Y., Zhang, X., Liu, H. et al. Investigation of multilayer microstrip electrode for an asymmetric Mach–Zehnder modulator. Opt Quant Electron 41, 1007–1017 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-010-9413-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-010-9413-z