High-Performance Chirped Electrode Design for Cat´s Eye Retro-Reflector Modulators

Author

Goetz, Peter G. ; Rabinovich, William S. ; Binari, Steven C. ; Mittereder, Jeffrey A.

Author_Institution

Naval Res. Lab., Washington, DC

Volume

18

Issue

21

fYear

2006

Firstpage

2278

Lastpage

2280

Abstract

Modulating retro-reflector (MRR) systems typically use large area surface-normal modulators with large lateral current flow. Frequency response is limited by the resistance capacitance time constant. In cat\´s eye MRRs, only a small percentage of the modulator area is illuminated at a time. Uniform resistance to each part of the modulator is desired to decrease location dependence of frequency response. A novel "chirped" grid electrode was designed to balance semiconductor sheet resistance and metal line resistance components of the series resistance. Measured rise/fall times across the device showed good uniformity

Keywords

chirp modulation; electro-optical modulation; electrodes; optical links; chirped electrode design; metal line resistance; resistance capacitance time constant; retro-reflector modulator; semiconductor sheet resistance; Chirp modulation; Electrodes; Frequency response; Optical devices; Optical fiber communication; Optical modulation; Optical surface waves; Optoelectronic devices; Quantum well devices; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Free-space optical communication; optical modulation; optoelectronic devices; quantum-well devices;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2006.884725

Filename

1715400