Patent · US Expired

Distributed amplifier optical modulators

US7039258B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
6References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 2004
Grant dateMay 2, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F2201/20
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

High speed optical modulators can be made of k modulators connected in series disposed on one of a variety of semiconductor substrates. An electrical signal propagating in a microwave transmission line is tapped off of the transmission line at regular intervals and is amplified by k distributed amplifiers. Each of the outputs of the k distributed amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the k modulators. Distributed amplifier modulators can have much higher modulating speeds than a comparable lumped element modulator, due to the lower capacitance of each of the k modulators. Distributed amplifier modulators can have much higher modulating speeds than a comparable traveling wave modulator, due to the impedance matching provided by the distributed amplifiers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.