Optical Modulators

Modulation
•What is modulation?

•Modulation is the process of converting data into radio waves by adding information to an electronic or
optical carrier signal.

•. This is achieved by altering the characteristics of a wave. By superimposing a message on to a high frequency
signal known as a carrier wave (or sinusoidal signal), video, voice and other data can be transmitted.

•In the modulation process, a parameter of the carrier wave (such as amplitude, frequency or phase) is varied in
accordance with the modulating signal.

•This modulated signal is then transmitted by the transmitter.

•The receiver demodulates the received modulated signal and gets the original information signal back.
 Different types of modulation

•Analog modulation

•In analog modulation, a continuously varying sine wave is used as a carrier wave that modulates the message signal
or data signal.

•How analog modulation works

•A carrier wave has three defining properties, which are amplitude, frequency and phase. These three defining
properties are used to create three types of modulation:
 •A high energy wave is characterized by a high amplitude; a low energy wave
Amplitude: is characterized by a low amplitude.
 Amplitude modulation

•Amplitude modulation or AM is
the method of varying the
instantaneous amplitude of carrier
signal accordingly with
instantaneous amplitude of message
signal.
Frequency

• The frequency of a wave is the number of waves passing a point in a

certain time.
 Frequency modulation

•FM or Frequency modulation is the

process of varying the in instantaneous
frequency of Carrier signal accordingly
with instantaneous amplitude of message
signal.
 Phase:

• Phase is the position of a point in

time (an instant) on a waveform cycle
 Phase modulation

• PM or Phase modulation is the

process of varying the instantaneous
phase of Carrier signal accordingly
with instantaneous amplitude of
message signal
 Digital Modulation

•Digital modulation is similar analog except base band signal is of discrete amplitude level. For binary signal it has
only two levels, either high or logic 1 or low or logic 0.

•The modulation scheme can be broken down in to three main types.

1. ASK or Amplitude Shift Key

2. FSK or Frequency Shift Key
3. PSK or Phase Shift Key
 ASK or Amplitude Shift Key

•This form of modulation is when the

carrier amplitude is varied in proportion
to message signal.
 FSK or Frequency Shift Key

•This type of modulation transmits data

by varying the frequency of the carrier.
In this modulation, the carrier has two
predefined frequencies.
 Optical modulation
• Optical modulation allows one to control an optical wave or to encode information on a carrier optical wave. The
inverse process that recovers the encoded information is demodulation. There are many types of optical
modulation, which can be categorized in several different ways.
• 1. Optical modulation can be categorized into different modulation schemes. Depending on whether the
information is encoded in the analog or digital form, optical modulation can be either analog
modulation or digital modulation. (phase modulation, frequency modulation, polarization modulation, amplitude
modulation etc...)
2. Optical modulation can be categorized as direct modulation or external modulation. Direct modulation is
directly performed on an optical source, which is usually a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser, without using a
separate optical modulator. External modulation is performed on an optical wave using a separate optical
modulator to change one or more characteristics of the wave.
• 4. optical modulation can also be categorized as refractive modulation or absorptive modulation. Refractive
modulation is performed by varying the refractive index of the material; absorptive modulation is performed by
varying the absorption coefficient of the material.
• 5. Optical modulation can also be categorized according to the physical mechanism behind the change of the
optical susceptibility, such as electro-optic modulation, acousto-optic modulation etc…
• 6. Optical modulation can also be classified as transverse modulation or longitudinal modulation. In transverse
modulation, the signal is applied in a direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of the optical wave. In
longitudinal modulation, the signal is applied along the propagation direction of the optical wave.
• 7. Optical modulation can be performed on unguided or guided optical waves A bulk modulator is used to
modulate an unguided optical wave. A waveguide modulator is used to modulate a guided optical wave.
 Optical Modulators
 An optical modulator is a device which can be used for manipulating a
property of light light – often of an optical beam, e.g. a laser beam.

 Depending on which property of light is controlled, modulators are

called intensity modulators, phase modulators, polarization
modulators etc.

 A wide range of optical modulators are used in very different

application areas, such as in optical fiber communications, displays,
for active Q switching etc…
 Types of Optical Modulators

• There are two major kinds of optical modulators:

• Acousto-optic modulators

• Electro-optic modulators
 Acousto-optic modulators
It uses the acousto-optic effect to diffract and shift the frequency of light using
sound waves.
 Electro-optic modulators
It is an optical device in which a signal-controlled element exhibiting an electro
optic effect is used to modulate the beam.ie..EOE is a change in the optical
properties of a material in response to the electric field. The modulation may be
imposed on the phase, frequency, amplitude or polarization of the beam
 Acousto-optic modulator

 An acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is a device which can be used for controlling

the power of a laser beam with an electrical drive signal.

 The acousto-optic effect is the change in the refractive index of the medium
caused by the mechanical strains accompanying the passage of an acoustic wave
through the medium.
 The key element of an AOM is a transparent crystal (or piece of glass) through
which the light propagates.

 A piezoelectric transducer attached to the crystal obtains a strong oscillating

electrical signal from an RF driver and is used to excite a sound wave with a
frequency of the order of 100 MHz and with an acoustic wavelength which is
typically between 10 μm and 100 μm.

 Light diffracted by an acoustic wave of single frequency produces two distinct

diffraction types. These are Raman Nath diffraction or Bragg diffraction or Raman
Nath Regime and Bragg Regime.
Figure 1: Schematic setup of a non-resonant
acousto-optic modulator. A transducer generates
a sound wave, at which a light beam is partially
diffracted. The diffraction angle is exaggerated;
it is normally only of the order of 1°.
 Q- factor

• A parameter called the “quality factor, Q”, determines

the interaction regime ( mode of operation). Q is given
by:

• is the wavelength of the laser beam, n is the refractive index of the crystal, L is the distance the
laser beam travels through the acoustic wave, is the acoustic wavelength
Q<<1 ,This is the Raman-Nath regime. The laser beam is incident roughly normal to the acoustic beam and
there are several diffraction orders (...-2 -1 0 1 2 3...) with intensities given by Bessel functions
• Q>>1 : This is the Bragg regime. At one particular incidence
angle only one diffraction order is produced
 The optical frequency of the diffracted beam is increased or decreased
by the frequency of the sound wave (depending on the propagation
direction of the acoustic wave relative to the beam) and propagates in a
slightly different direction.

 The frequency and direction of the scattered beam depend on the

frequency of the sound wave, whereas the acoustic power is the control
for the diffracted optical power.

Electro-optic modulator (EOM)
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) (or electrooptic modulator) is a device which can
be used for controlling the power (→ intensity modulators), phase (→
phase modulators) or polarization of light with an electrical control signal.
 It typically contains one or two Pockels cells, and possibly additional optical
elements such as polarizers. Pocket cells are voltage-controlled wave plates. The
pockels effect is the basis of the operation of Pockels cells. Pockels cells is used to
rotate the polarization of beam that pass through. Different types of Pockels cells
are shown in Figure 1 and are described more in detail in the article on
Pockels cells.
 The principle of operation is based on the linear electro-optic effect (also called
the Pockels effect), i.e., the modification of the refractive index of a
nonlinear crystal by an electric field in proportion to the field strength.( Linear
electro optic effect: The refractive index of a medium is proportion to the applied
electric field strength)
The dependence of the refractive index on the applied electric field takes one of
two forms:
 The refractive index changes in proportion to the applied electric field, in
which case the effect is known as the linear electro-optic effect or the Pockels
effect.
 The refractive index changes in proportion to the square of the applied electric
field, in which case the effect is known as the quadratic electro-optic effect or
the Kerr effect.
 Most EOMs are operated with free-space laser beams, but there are also
fiber-coupled modulators, where the Pockels cell is placed between two
fiber collimators. Such devices typically have an insertion loss around
4 dB and can handle only limited power levels, e.g. 50 mW.

 Frequently used nonlinear crystal materials for EOMs are potassium di-
deuterium phosphate (KD*P = DKDP), potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP),
beta-barium borate (BBO) (the latter for higher average powers and/or higher
switching frequencies), also lithium niobate (LiNbO3), lithium tantalate

(LiTaO3) and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4, ADP). In addition

to these inorganic electro-optic materials, there are also special poled
polymers for modulators.
 Figure 1: Pockels cells of various types.

 The voltage required for inducing a phase change of π is called the half-wave
voltage (Vπ).

 For a Pockels cell, it is usually hundreds or even thousands of volts, so that a high-
voltage amplifier is required.
 Electro-optic Modulator (EOM)
Phase Modulation
 Apart from the above described bulk-type modulators, there are also
modulators where the optical radiation is confined by a waveguide.

 Such devices can be realized, e.g. on lithium niobate (LiNbO3), which has
substantial electro-optic coefficients.

 Due to the small electrode distances, such devices can work with
relatively low electrical voltages, and they can also allow for quite high
modulation frequencies.