The present disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110870918.1, filed on Jul. 30, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to electro-optic technologies, and in particular, to an electro-optic modulator and an electro-optic device.
Electro-optic modulators are modulators made by using the electro-optic effect of some electro-optic crystals, such as lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals, gallium arsenide (GaAs) crystals, or lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) crystals. When a voltage is applied to electro-optic crystals, a refractive index of the electro-optic crystals will change, thereby implementing modulation of the phase, amplitude, intensity, polarization state, and other characteristics of an optical signal. A common modulator among electro-optic modulators is the Mach-Zehnder modulator. This interferometer-type modulator mainly uses a phase difference between two arms in the modulator to complete signal modulation of coherence enhancement and coherence cancellation.
However, with the increasing and urgent demands for high-speed, large-capacity, and integrated communication technologies, it is desired to minimize the size of integrated devices while ensuring the modulation effect of electro-optic modulators. This places high requirements on electrode design.
It will be advantageous to provide a mechanism to alleviate, mitigate or even eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned problems.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electro-optic modulator, including: an optical splitter configured to split an optical input signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal; a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide configured to provide optical transmission paths for the first optical signal and the second optical signal, respectively; traveling wave electrodes extending along a first direction and configured to transmit a radio frequency signal, where the traveling wave electrodes include a first grounding electrode, a first signal electrode, a second signal electrode, and a second grounding electrode that are arranged in sequence in a second direction, and the second direction intersects the first direction; and extension electrodes arranged along the optical transmission paths in a gap between the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode and configured to modulate the first optical signal and the second optical signal based on the radio frequency signal. The extension electrodes include at least one first signal sub-electrode and two second signal sub-electrodes, which are arranged side by side in the second direction and each have a length direction parallel to the first direction, wherein the two second signal sub-electrodes are arranged on both sides of the at least one first signal sub-electrode. The first optical waveguide is arranged between one second signal sub-electrode of the two second signal sub-electrodes and a first signal sub-electrode adjacent to the one second signal sub-electrode, and the second optical waveguide is arranged between the other second signal sub-electrode of the two second signal sub-electrodes and a first signal sub-electrode adjacent to a sub-electrode of the other second signal electrode.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electro-optic device, including the electro-optic modulator mentioned above.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be clear from the embodiments described below, and will be clarified with reference to the embodiments described below.
More details, features, and advantages of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following description of example embodiments with reference to the accompany drawings, in which:
In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the terms “first”, “second”, etc., used to describe various elements are not intended to limit the positional, temporal or importance relationship of these elements, but rather only to distinguish one component from another. In some examples, the first element and the second element may refer to the same instance of the element, and in some cases, based on contextual descriptions, the first element and the second element may also refer to different instances.
The terms used in the description of the various examples in the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing particular examples, and are not intended to be limiting. If the number of elements is not specifically defined, there may be one or more elements, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context. Moreover, the term “and/or” used in the present disclosure encompasses any of and all possible combinations of listed items.
Technologies related to electro-optic modulation have been widely developed and applied, such as optical communications, microwave photonics, laser-beam deflection, wavefront modulation, etc. In a Mach-Zehnder modulator in the related art, one signal electrode and two grounding electrodes are used to input signals in the form of 0 (grounding signal), 1 (modulating voltage signal), 0 (grounding signal), thereby generating two electric fields with opposite directions. The opposite electric field directions are used to implement opposite modulation of two optical path signals located in the two electric fields, thereby generating a phase difference and completing coherence enhancement or coherence cancellation.
However, to achieve a sufficient phase difference, a relatively large modulation voltage and a relatively long transmission distance are required. An existing electro-optic modulator has the disadvantages of large size or low modulation efficiency, making it difficult to meet the requirements of integration and high efficiency currently on the market.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved electro-optic modulator that may alleviate, mitigate, or even eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The traveling wave electrodes 130 extend along a first direction D1, and may include a first grounding electrode 131, a first signal electrode 132, a second signal electrode 133, and a second grounding electrode 134 that are arranged in sequence in a second direction D2. The traveling wave electrodes 130 extending along the first direction D1 refers to that a length direction of the traveling wave electrodes 130 extends along the first direction D1. The extension electrodes 140 are arranged along an optical transmission path, and may include at least one first signal sub-electrode (two first signal sub-electrodes 142a and 142b in the embodiment illustrated in
In other embodiments, only one first signal sub-electrode (not shown) may be provided, and the two second signal sub-electrodes 143a and 143b are arranged on both sides of the only one first signal sub-electrode. The first optical waveguide 120a is arranged between the only one first signal sub-electrode and one second signal sub-electrode 143a of the second signal electrode 133, and the second optical waveguide 120b is arranged between the only one first signal sub-electrode 142b and the other second signal sub-electrode 143b of the second signal electrode 133.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In an electro-optic modulator in the related art, electrodes on both sides of an optical waveguide are usually arranged in a manner that the electrode on one side is grounded and has a potential of 0, while the electrode on the other side is applied a voltage U. In this case, a potential difference between the two electrodes is U or −U, which may be used to modulate the two optical signals with potential differences opposite in polarity. However, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-electrodes are disposed on both sides of each optical waveguide, and an electrical connection structure of the sub-electrodes is adjusted, such that the sub-electrodes on both sides of each optical waveguide have opposite potentials, such as −U and U. In this case, a potential difference between the sub-electrodes on both sides of each optical waveguide is 2U or −2U. A larger potential difference causes a refractive index of an electro-optic crystal to change more drastically, and light wave characteristic changes of the electro-optic crystal also change more drastically, so an ideal phase difference, such as π, can be quickly reached. To achieve the same phase difference as in the prior art, this embodiment of the present disclosure only requires a shorter optical signal propagation distance under the same conditions, thereby greatly reducing a device size and significantly saving space.
Continuing to refer to
Appropriately reducing a length of a corresponding sub-electrode or dividing the corresponding sub-electrode into a plurality of sections according to a requirement, which may minimize a transmission loss of an electrical signal, while minimizing an impact on a transmission speed of the electrical signal, and ensuring that the transmission speed of the electrical signal is the same as or close to a transmission group velocity of the optical signal in the waveguide.
Continuing to refer to
In some embodiments, the electro-optic modulator 100 further includes a protective layer configured to cover at least one component. For example, the traveling wave electrodes 130 or the extension electrodes 140 are covered with the protective layer, which may slow down natural oxidation or accidental surface damage of the electrodes, and prolong the service life of the element.
In some embodiments, the first optical waveguide 120a and the second optical waveguide 120b are lithium niobate optical waveguides. Lithium niobate crystals have a smooth surface and are an optical material with excellent electro-optic and acousto-optic effects. High-quality optical waveguides prepared using lithium niobate crystals can support an ultra-low transmission loss, and have many excellent characteristics such as mature technology, low cost, and mass production.
The traveling wave electrodes 230 may include a first grounding electrode 231, a first signal electrode 232, a second signal electrode 233, and a second grounding electrode 234 that are arranged in sequence in a second direction D2. The extension electrodes 240 are arranged along an optical transmission path, and include at least one first signal sub-electrode 242a and 242b and two second signal sub-electrodes 243a and 243b that are arranged side by side in the second direction D2. The two second signal sub-electrodes 243a and 243b are arranged on both sides of the at least one first signal sub-electrode 242a and 242b. The first optical waveguide 220a and the second optical waveguide 220b are each arranged to extend in a gap between one first signal sub-electrode and a second signal sub-electrode adjacent to the first signal sub-electrode. Reference numerals similar to those in
A difference between the electro-optic modulator 200 shown in
The arrangement mentioned above may stabilize the electrical connection between each signal electrode and a sub-electrode thereof, pattern the device, and facilitate packaging integration.
Continuing to refer to
For convenience of description, the following description is given using examples in which the extension arms are used as the electrical connection method between the traveling wave electrodes and the extension electrodes. Certainly, an electrical connection method between the traveling wave electrodes and the extension electrodes is not limited to this, and other methods may alternatively be used, as long as the electrical signal can be transmitted from the traveling wave electrodes to the extension electrodes.
A connection shape between the extension arms and the sub-electrodes may be T-shaped or L-shaped. Certainly, it is not limited to the shape shown in this embodiment of the present disclosure. Other shapes may alternatively be adopted according to actual requirements to match an appropriate speed.
As shown in
The electro-optic modulator 300 may further include a substrate 360, an isolating layer 370 on the substrate 360, a thin film layer 320 configured to form the first optical waveguide 320a and the second optical waveguide 320b, and a covering layer 380 on the first optical waveguide 320a and the second optical waveguide 320b.
Continuing to refer to
In some embodiments, the traveling wave electrodes 330 and the extension electrodes 340 may be located in the isolating layer 370.
In some embodiments, the traveling wave electrodes 330 and the extension electrodes 340 may be located on the isolating layer 370.
In some embodiments, at least some of the traveling wave electrodes 330 and at least some of the extension electrodes 340 may be located in the thin film layer 320.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
A difference between the electro-optic modulator 500 shown in
Continuing to refer to
In some embodiments, as shown in
Certainly, the positions of the traveling wave electrodes 530 and the extension electrodes 540 are not limited to the above examples, and the positions of the two may be flexibly adjusted to achieve a structure that is most conducive to the assembly and integration of the device.
A difference between the electro-optic modulator 700 shown in
A number of grooves is not limited to 1.
A difference between the electro-optic modulator 800 shown in
In some embodiments, the isolating layer may also be provided with a groove.
The substrate or the isolating layer may be provided with one or more grooves according to actual requirements, and parameters such as a shape, a depth, and a position of the groove may be adjusted, thereby regulating a transmission speed of the electrical signal and better implementing matching between transmission speeds of light and electricity.
Although the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the methods, systems and devices described above are merely example embodiments or examples, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments or examples, and is only defined by the scope of the granted claims and the equivalents thereof. Various elements in the embodiments or examples may be omitted or substituted by equivalent elements thereof. Moreover, the steps may be performed in an order different from that described in the present disclosure. Further, various elements in the embodiments or examples may be combined in various ways. It is important that, as the technology evolves, many elements described herein may be replaced with equivalent elements that appear after the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202110870918.1 | Jul 2021 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2022/107914 | 7/26/2022 | WO |