Ultra-Wideband Generation Based on Cascaded Mach–Zehnder Modulators

Author

Yu, Yuan ; Dong, Jianji ; Li, Xiang ; Zhang, Xinliang

Author_Institution

Wuhan Nat. Lab. for Optoelectron., Huazhong Univ. of Sci. & Technol., Wuhan, China

Volume

23

Issue

23

fYear

2011

Firstpage

1754

Lastpage

1756

Abstract

A simple approach to generating ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses with a single optical carrier is proposed and demonstrated. The approach is realized by using a single laser diode (LD) and two cascaded Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs). In the experiment, the two MZMs are biased at opposite slopes of their modulation curves respectively and the time delay between them is variable. Negative monocycle pulses with a center frequency of 4.3 GHz and a fractional bandwidth of 165%, and positive monocycle pulses with a center frequency of 4.3 GHz and a fractional bandwidth of 188% are generated, respectively. The feasibility of high order UWB pulses generation with a single optical carrier is also discussed.

Keywords

optical modulation; optical pulse generation; semiconductor lasers; Mach-Zehnder modulators; UWB pulses generation; frequency 4.3 GHz; laser diode; negative monocycle pulses; optical carrier; positive monocycle pulses; ultra-wideband generation; ultrawideband pulse generation; Optical distortion; Optical fibers; Optical modulation; Optical pulses; Radio frequency; Counter-phase modulation; Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM); in-phase modulation; ultra-wideband (UWB);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2011.2169241

Filename

6025265