Abstract

Optical modulators operating from below 1GHz to the millimeter wave regime are of interest for many applications including wideband fiber communication using microwave subcarrier modulation. External laser modulation offers the flexibility of optimizing the optical transmitter for high modulation bandwidths and high optical power output, while maintaining excellent spectral purity, as has been demonstrated in multi-gigabit/sec digital fiber communication. Electrooptic modulators, based on single-mode titanium indiffused lithium niobate (Ti.LiNbO₃) optical waveguides, with 3 dB electrical bandwidths of approximately 16 GHz have been demonstrated and directly evaluated to about 18 GHz. [1] The extension of these results to higher frequencies has been hindered by stringent device design requirements and a lack of sufficiently high-speed detection systems.

© 1987 Optical Society of America