HIGH SPEED OPTICAL MODULATORS IN COMMUNICATIONS

M. Rakib Uddin1, M. Shah Alam2 and Yong Hyub Won1

1
School of Engineering, Information and Communications University (ICU)
Daejeon, South Korea.
2
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Email: mmrakib@icu.ac.kr

ABSTRACT
In this paper, the microwave properties of coplanar waveguide (CPW) for Mach-
Zehnder electrooptic modulators in presence of asymmetry, has been presented by
using efficient and versatile finite element method (FEM). Two dimensional and
three dimensional electric field distributions, microwave effective index,
characteristic impedance, and microwave propagation losses of the modulator are
investigated in this work. We observed that the above properties are affected
significantly by the asymmetry of the CPW. We also observed that impedance
matching and phase velocity matching were changed significantly when the
modulator has asymmetry in its structure.

Keywords: Modulators, asymmetry, effective index, characteristic impedance.

1 INTRODUCTION In most cases [1]-[2], [5]-[7], the symmetric

Over the past decade, as the demand for
telecommunications services and bandwidth has
boomed, the need for and advantages of Mach-
Zehnder external modulation in fiber-optic
transmission systems has been firmly established. In
higher speed digital communication applications,
fiber dispersion has limited system performance.
Mach-Zehnder external modulators provide both the
required bandwidth and the equally important means
for minimizing the effects of dispersion. Unlike
direct modulation of laser diode, Mach-Zehnder
external modulators can be designed for zero-chirp
or adjustable chirp operation. Zero-chirp or negative
chirp modulators help to minimize the system
degradation associated with fiber dispersion.
The frequency response of the broad-band Mach-
Zehnder Modulators with traveling wave electrode is
restricted mainly by the electrical characteristics of
the electrode and the mismatch in velocity between
the modulating microwave signals and optical carrier
waves [1]-[4]. Microwave propagation losses, which
include conductor loss and dielectric loss, are the
limiting factors for bandwidth determination [2].
However, accurate analysis of coplanar waveguide
(CPW) electrode is indispensable to the design of
these modulators. As a mater of fact, the CPW
electrodes are commonly used as traveling wave
electrodes for a Ti:LN optical modulator because it
provides a good connection to an external coaxial
line.
CPW electrode are used, however, the asymmetric
CPW electrode can play a significant role in the
design [7]. By introducing deliberate asymmetry, the
microwave effective index, characteristic impedance,
and conductor loss can be controlled to achieve
velocity and impedance matching, which in turn
enhance optical response of the modulator. But,
analysis of such waveguides with asymmetry or
arbitrary cross section is rather difficult as they do
not lend themselves to analytical solutions [6]. In this
paper, by using the numerically efficient and
versatile finite element method (FEM), the analysis
of asymmetric CPW for LiNbO3 Mach-Zehnder
modulators is carried out and two dimensional and
three dimensional electric field distributions,
microwave propagation characteristics such as the
characteristic impedance, Z c , the microwave
effective index, N m , and the microwave
propagation losses are calculated for various
structural parameters.
2 THEORY
In the quasi-static approximation, the scalar
potential function φ ( x, y ) is governed by the
Laplace’s equation [2]
∂ 2φ ( x , y ) ∂ 2φ ( x , y )
εx + ε =0 (1)
∂x 2 ∂y 2
y

Ubiquitous Computing and Communication Journal 1

Where ε x and ε y are the permittivity in
directions respectively. By discretizing the
modulator cross section with many linear triangular
elements and solving the highly sparse resultant
algebraic equation generated, the nodal values of the
potential function φ ( x, y ) can be obtained.
From the nodal potential values, the capacitance
per unit length of the CPW electrode can be
evaluated by using the divergence theorem [2] as
1 ∂φ
∫ε
C= dl
∂n
n may occur during fabrication process. So during
V0 S
Where C is the capacitance of the CPW line, V0 is
the applied voltage, S is the integration contour. By
replacing the dielectric materials by free space,
capacitance of the free-space line C a can be
calculated and from these two values the microwave
effective index and characteristic impedance can be
calculated using [8]
x and y due to dielectric loss. The dielectric loss can arise
from different lossy microwave regions, and in this
case it is comprised of losses in silica and lithium
niobate.
3 SIMULATION AND RESULTS
Fig. 1 shows the cross sectional view of a Mach-
Zehnder modulator which is an asymmetric structure.
Here S is the width of the central electrode and the
gap between electrodes, G1 and G 2 are unequal.
As the structure is very small in size, asymmetry
(2)
analysis of the CPW optical modulator, if any
asymmetry present in the structure should be
considered very carefully. Besides, asymmetry of the
CPW Mach-Zehnder modulator may play significant
roles on the electric field distribution, the
characteristic impedance, the effective index, and the
microwave propagation losses which in turn may
affect the bandwidth of the modulators.

N m = (C C a )1 / 2 (3a)

and z
x

Z c = 1 [v0 ⋅ (CC a ) 1/ 2
] (3b)
Fig. 1: Cross section of asymmetric CPW Mach-
Where v0 =3 × 10 m/s is the speed of light.
8 Zehnder optical modulator.
We employ a perturbation approach [9] to solve Buffer layer thickness and the electrode thickness
for the attenuation constants due to conductor and are the important parameters in the design of an
dielectric losses as optical modulator. To reduce the optical loss due to
the lossy metal electrodes, often a SiO2 buffer layer
α c = Pc (2 P0 ) (4a) is used, which also assists in the phase matching. The
relative dielectric constant of the SiO2 buffer layer is
and taken as 3.9. For a z-cut LiNbO3 substrate, dielectric
constants are 28 and 43 for orthogonal directions on
α d = Pd (2 P0 ) (4b)
transverse plane.
Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the calculated values of
N m and Z c as functions of B , respectively. It is
Where P0 is the time average power flow along the
observed that with increasing of B , N m decreases
line, Pc and Pd are the time average powers
dissipated in the conductors and dielectrics,
but Z c increases for a certain value of electrode
respectively [9]. width, S and electrode thickness, T . It can also
When both the conductor loss and the dielectric be observed that as G1 decreases while G 2 is
loss are considered, the total frequency dependent
constant, both N m and Z c decreases significantly.
attenuation constant may be given by [2]
However, Nm changes uniformly over the variation of
B from 0.6 µm to 2.0 µm, when G1≠G2. On the
α( f ) = αc f + αd f (5) other hand, Zc is more sensitive with the asymmetric
gap width at higher B.
Where αc is the attenuation constant due to
conductor loss and αd is the attenuation constant

Ubiquitous Computing and Communication Journal 2

 2.7 2
S = 8 µm
S = 8 µm
2.6 T = 10 µm
T = 10 µm

Microwave Propagation Loss (dB/cm)

1.8
G2 = 15 µm
G2 = 15 µm
2.5
1.6
Effective Index, N m

2.4
1.4
2.3
1.2
2.2

1
2.1
G1= 8 µm G1= 8 µm
2 0.8
G1= 12 µm G1= 12 µm
G1= 15 µm G1= 15µm
1.9
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Buffer Layer Thickness, B (µm) Buffer Layer Thickness, B (µm)

Fig. 2: Variations of microwave effective index, Fig. 4: Variations of total propagation loss, α with
N m with buffer layer thickness, B. buffer layer thickness, B .

2.8
52
S = 8 µm
50 S = 8 µm 2.7
B = 1.2 µm
T = 10 µm
Characteristic Impedance, Z c (ohm)

G2 = 15 µm
G2 = 15 µm 2.6
48

46 Effective Index, N m 2.5

44 2.4

42
2.3
40
2.2
38 G1=15 µm
G1= 8 µm 2.1 G1=12 µm
36 G1= 12 µm
G1=8 µm
G1= 15 µm 2
34 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 Electrode Thickness, T ( µm)
Buffer Layer Thickness, B (µm)

Fig. 3: Variations of characteristic impedence, Fig. 5: Variations of microwave effective index,

Z c with buffer layer thickness, B. N m with electrode thickness, T.

Fig. 4 shows the total propagation loss versus the 60

buffer layer thickness, B. Here the microwave loss S=8 µm

Characteristic Impedance, Z c (ohm)

55 B=1.2 µm
decreases as B increases. However, no significant G2=15 µm

difference is observed for asymmetric structure. 50

The electrode thickness, T is also a significant

parameter for the design of optical modulators. In 45

Figs. 5 we can see the variation of effective index as

40
a function of electrode thickness. We observed that
effective index decreases as electrode thickness 35 G1= 15 µm
increases. We also observed that when the degree of G1= 12µm
G1= 8 µm
asymmetry increases, effective index decreases. In 30
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Fig. 6 we observed that the characteristic impedance Electrode Thickness, T ( µm)

decreases for increasing of electrode thickness. We

also observed in Fig. 6 that the characteristic
Fig. 6: Variations of characteristic impedance, Zc
impedance is decreasing due to increasing of the
degree of asymmetry. with center electrode thickness, T.
To find impedance matching, we need
characteristic impedance of 50 Ω and for velocity
matching we need effective index of 2.15. For best
performance simultaneous impedance and velocity
matching is required. But, we observed in Fig. 7 that
due to asymmetry in the structure, simultaneous
velocity and impedance matching is a big problem.

Ubiquitous Computing and Communication Journal 3

 2.8 55
Nm
Zc
m

G1=15 um
Microwave effective index, N

Characteristic impedance, Zc
2.6 G1=15 um 50

Electric field (E y)
G1=12 um G1=12 um 0.5
2.4 45
G1=8 um
G1=8 um
0
2.2 40

-0.5
150
2 35
100 80
60
50 40
1.8 30 20
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 0 0
Y-axis X-axis
Buffer layer thickness, B (um)

Fig. 7: Variation of Nm and Zc with the buffer layer Fig. 10: 3-D plot of Ey for T= 10 µm.
thickness, B.

4
Potential

-2
150
100 80
60
50 40
20
0 0
Y-axis X-axis

Fig. 8: 3-D plot of potential distribution of the

modulator with asymmetric CPW.
Fig. 11: Potential distribution of the modulator with
asymmetric CPW.

Fig. 11 shows the contour plot of the potential

2
distribution over the cross section of the modulator
when the structure is asymmetric. As expected, the
Electric field (E )
x

1
distribution here is asymmetric and that the potential
0
field surrounds the central hot electrode.
-1
4 CONCLUSION
-2
150
80
100
60 In this paper, we investigated the electric field
50 40
20 distribution and microwave properties, such as the
0 0
Y-axis X-axis effective index, the characteristic impedance, and the
loss of asymmetric CPW for lithium niobate Mach-
Fig. 9: 3-D plot of Ex for T= 10 µm. Zehnder modulators by using the finite element
method. We observed that asymmetry of CPW
Fig. 8 shows a 3-D plot of potential distribution makes the potential distribution and hence the
over the cross section of the structure. It is seen from electric field distribution asymmetric and thus affects
the figure that the hot (center) electrode area is at the the microwave properties of the modulator
highest potential. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show 3-D plots significantly. To characterize the optical properties
of electric fields Ex and Ey, respectively. The electric of the optical modulators, the microwave properties
field surrounds the central electrode. In this case, we play significant roles and the further study will be
also see that Ey component of the electric field is done for investigating the optical properties of
more dominating than Ex component. different materials both for symmetric and
asymmetric CPW by using finite element method.

Ubiquitous Computing and Communication Journal 4

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