Abstract

Integrated optic amplitude modulators based on the Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) interferometer in lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) using traveling-wave electrode configurations are an established enabling technology for high-speed optical communications and analog signal processing, Typical applications require linear modulation about the quadrature bias point, so that device performance is limited by bias drift: The intrinsic modulator bias is altered by both external environmental factors (e.g., temperature variations)^1,2 and internal material effects (long-term charge transport in LiNbO₃ and SiO₂).³ These effects necessitate feedback-controlled bias tracking to extend the usable device lifetime to practical values.

© 1996 Optical Society of America