Technique for measuring the Vpi-AC of a mach-zehnder modulator
US6204954A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 1999 |
| Grant date | Mar 20, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/0123
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In an optical communication system, efficient use of a Mach-Zehnder modulator requires accurate knowledge of the AC halfwave voltage at the desired modulation frequency. At high modulation frequencies this can be difficult to measure directly. A method of accurately measuring the AC halfwave voltage of a Mach-Zehnder modulator is described. The Mach-Zehnder modulator is biased at the peak of the transfer function curve and a sinusoidal signal of known amplitude and the desired frequency of measurement is applied. The optical power is measured with and without the sinusoidal signal. The ratio of the two optical powers is used in the Mach-Zehnder transfer equation to calculate the AC halfwave voltage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.