Electrode Optimization Of High Speed Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

Abstract

We have designed and fabricated a Ti :LiNb03 waveguide high speed Mach -Zehnder interferometric modulator operating at 1.3 um wavelength.Design considerations for optical waveguide and traveling -wave coplanar -waveguide electrode have been listed. The modulator was optimized with respect to optical insertion loss, switching voltage or drive power, and modulation bandwidth.The fiber -pigtailed device had a 5 dB fiber -to -fiber loss and an intrinsic modulation bandwidth of 18 GHz.The voltage required to switch the device from the on-to off -state was measured to be 9.5 V, with an on /off extinction ratio of 33 dB.