1st Edition

Broadband Optical Modulators Science, Technology, and Applications

Edited By Antao Chen, Edmond Murphy Copyright 2012
    568 Pages
    by CRC Press

    568 Pages 335 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    "…provides the full, exciting story of optical modulators. … a comprehensive review, from the fundamental science to the material and processing technology to the optimized device design to the multitude of applications for which broadband optical modulators bring great value. … Especially valuable in my view is that the authors are internationally known researchers, developers, and systems people who are experts in their field, writing now, with the perspective that time offers, about their groundbreaking work. "



    —Dr. Rodney C. Alferness, Senior Vice President of Optical Networking Research at Lucent Technologies’ Bell Labs




    Considered the most comprehensive book yet published on this critical subject, Broadband Optical Modulators: Science, Technology, and Applications offers an incredibly wide-ranging yet in-depth overview of the state of the art in the design and use of optical modulators. A compilation of expert insights, this book covers fundamental and practical aspects, from materials to systems, addressing historical and more recent developments.



    Coverage includes:







    • Optical and electro-optic properties of traditional single crystalline lithium niobate, silicon, and III-V compound semiconductors, as well as emerging electro-optic polymers and organic nonlinear optic crystals






    • Discussion of factors important to modulator design, fabrication, and performance






    • Fundamental topics, such as electro-optic effect in nonlinear optic crystals and semiconductors






    Leaders in the field created this invaluable reference for scientific researchers involved in high-speed device research and development, especially in the areas of optical transmitters and optical modulators for fiber-optics communication systems. Helping readers master optical modulation techniques, this book will be invaluable to engineers (system/subsystem designers, product developers, and technical and project managers) and other professionals in the telecommunications and defense industries. It offers the audience—which includes graduate students—an in-depth understanding of the new modulator architectures and technologies now available, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, advantages, and trade-offs associated with each.

    Section I: Fundamentals



    Role and Evolution of Modulators in Optical Fiber Communication. Evolution of Digital Optical Modulation Formats. Fiber-Optic Analog Radio Frequency Links. Overview of Optical Modulators and the Properties That Affect Transmission System Performance.





    Section II: Modulator Technology



    Electroabsorption Modulators. Lithium Niobate Modulators. Indium Phosphide-Based Electro-Optic Modulators.





    Section III: Emerging Technologies



    Gallium Arsenide Modulator Technology. Electro-Optic Polymer Modulators. Silicon High-Speed Modulators. Organic Electro-Optic Crystal Modulators. Complex Oxide Electro- Optic Modulators.





    Section IV: Practical Issues in Modulator Operation



    Modulator Drivers. Reliability of Lithium Niobate Modulators. Bias Control Techniques.





    Section V: Applications Beyond the Digital Telecom System



    Broadband Electric Field Sensors. Passive Millimeter-Wave Imaging Using Optical Modulators. Optical Beam Forming for Microwave and Millimeter Waves. Electro-Optic Time Lenses for Shaping and Imaging Optical Waveforms. RF Photonics-Optical Pulse Synthesizer. Optoelectronic Oscillator. Electro-Optic Analog-to-Digital Converters. Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes. Polarization Control.

    Biography

    Antao Chen is a research professor in the physics department at the University of South Florida. He also has joint appointments as senior scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory and associate professor at Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington. He received his BS and MEng degrees from Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, in 1983 and 1989, respectively, and his MS and Ph.D degrees from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, in 1995 and 1998, respectively. He has worked in both the optical industry and academia since 1983.





    Edmond J. Murphy currently works for JDSU’s Communication and Commercial Optical Products Division where he focuses on Advanced Technology Planning and Intellectual Property matters. He has been with JDSU since 1999, previously serving in various roles such as Vice President of Development, Electro-optic Products Division; General Manager, Electro-Optic Products Division; and Group Chief Technology Officer, Components and Modules Division.

    Graduate students and research scientists will benefit from this outstanding book. Readers interested in recent technologies will find several chapters devoted to applications beyond the digital telecom system. This excellent volume also offers newcomers a great introduction to the subject … those interested in modulator operation will appreciate the coverage on modulator drivers, reliability of lithium niobate modulators and bias control techniques.
    Optics & Photonics News

    This book … provides the full exciting story of optical modulators. It is a comprehensive review from the fundamental science, … material and processing technology to optimized device design [and] the multitude of applications … .The book should prove valuable to a broad spectrum of readers, including graduate students, new entrants to the field and systems researchers and engineers who want either an overview or in-depth understanding of this exciting and highly enabling field.
    —From the Foreword by Rodney C. Alferness, Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent, USA