Abstract

Simple and stable optical pulse sources are needed in modern communication systems because the RZ format is preferred at high bit rates. Electro-absorption modulators (EAM) have been used to generate optical pulses with simple sinusoidal drive¹ and feature low-chirp and low-jitter. To further decrease the pulse width, approaches such as using tandem modulators² and dual amplifier drive³ were reported. In this work, we deliberately constructed electrical standing-wave patterns in the EAM to increase the E-O response and generate shorter pulses.

© 2002 Optical Society of America