Microwave frequency range electro-optic modulator with efficient input coupling and smooth wideband frequency response
US5208697A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 4, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2201/127
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A travelling-wave Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator (10) for operation at microwave electrical input signal frequencies has an electrical modulation electrode structure (26,34) which constitutes a coplanar waveguide (24). An electrical input signal connector (80) is coupled to a microstrip line (38) having an output impedance which is significantly different from the input impedance of the waveguide (24). A Chebyshev impedance matching transformer (50) couples the input signal from the input connector (80) to the modulation electrode structure (26,34), while matching the output impedance of the microstrip line (38) to the input impedance of the waveguide (24) to maximize the coupling efficiency and minimize return loss. The modulato PAC GOVERNMENT RIGHTS This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. N66604-87-C-1126 awarded by the Department of the Navy. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.