CN117311017A - Optical modulation system and optical modulator - Google Patents

Optical modulation system and optical modulator Download PDF

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Publication number
CN117311017A
CN117311017A CN202210714149.0A CN202210714149A CN117311017A CN 117311017 A CN117311017 A CN 117311017A CN 202210714149 A CN202210714149 A CN 202210714149A CN 117311017 A CN117311017 A CN 117311017A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
electrode
driver
electrodes
power
modulation system
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Pending
Application number
CN202210714149.0A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
桂成程
毕晓君
盛超帝
宋小鹿
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Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
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Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
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Priority to CN202210714149.0A priority Critical patent/CN117311017A/en
Priority to PCT/CN2023/100599 priority patent/WO2023246627A1/en
Publication of CN117311017A publication Critical patent/CN117311017A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/011—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/03—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/03—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect
    • G02F1/0305—Constructional arrangements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/03—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect
    • G02F1/0305—Constructional arrangements
    • G02F1/0316—Electrodes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/03—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect
    • G02F1/0327—Operation of the cell; Circuit arrangements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/03—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect
    • G02F1/035—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect in an optical waveguide structure

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Optical Modulation, Optical Deflection, Nonlinear Optics, Optical Demodulation, Optical Logic Elements (AREA)

Abstract

The application discloses an optical modulation system and an optical modulator. The optical modulation system comprises a driver and an optical modulator, wherein the optical modulator comprises an optical waveguide and an electrode group, and the optical waveguide comprises two arms; the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned on two sides of the corresponding arm; wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is connected to the driver.

Description

Optical modulation system and optical modulator
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the field of optical communications technologies, and in particular, to an optical modulation system and an optical modulator.
Background
An optical modulation system refers to a system that modulates information to be transmitted into an optical signal. Optical modulation systems typically include an optical modulator and a driver that inputs an electrical signal carrying information into the optical modulator, which modulates light with the electrical signal to obtain an optical signal carrying the information.
In order to ensure the transmission quality of the optical signal, the optical modulation system may modulate the light by using a differential modulation method. The optical modulation system provided in the related art is capable of realizing differential modulation, but requires the simultaneous use of two drivers (e.g., operational amplifiers), and the number of drivers is large, resulting in high volume, cost, and power consumption of the optical modulation system.
Disclosure of Invention
The present application provides an optical modulation system and an optical modulator capable of reducing the number of required drivers and reducing the device size.
In a first aspect, at least one embodiment of the present application provides a light modulation system comprising a driver and a light modulator comprising an optical waveguide and an electrode set, the optical waveguide comprising two arms; the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned on two sides of the corresponding arm; wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is connected to the driver.
In an embodiment of the present application, the optical modulation system is constituted by a driver and an optical modulator, wherein the optical modulator comprises an optical waveguide and an electrode group comprising two electrode pairs responsible for providing electric fields to two arms of the optical waveguide, each electrode pair comprising two electrodes enabling differential modulation of an optical signal in one arm, and each electrode of the two electrode pairs being connected to the driver. In this way, each electrode of the optical modulator is connected with the same driver, so that when the optical modulation system realizes differential modulation, two drivers are not needed, and only one driver is needed, thereby reducing the number of drivers needed by the optical modulation system, reducing the volume, and reducing the system cost and the power consumption.
Illustratively, a first electrode of the two electrode pairs is located between two arms of the optical waveguide and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are located on either side of the optical waveguide.
In the embodiment of the application, one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a positive electrode, and the other of the first electrode and the second electrode is a negative electrode. For example, the first electrode is a positive electrode and the second electrode is a negative electrode. For another example, the first electrode is a negative electrode and the second electrode is a positive electrode.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include two signal providing terminals, for example, one positive signal providing terminal and one negative signal providing terminal. In another possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include three signal supply terminals, for example, one positive signal supply terminal and two negative signal supply terminals, or one negative signal supply terminal and two positive signal supply terminals. In yet another possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include four signal providing terminals, for example, two positive signal providing terminals and two negative signal providing terminals.
In a possible implementation of the present application, the number of signal supply terminals in the driver is smaller than the number of electrodes in the electrode set. For example, the driver includes 2 signal supply terminals, and the number of electrodes of the electrode group is 3 or 4.
The optical modulation system further comprises a power divider, the power divider comprises at least one power dividing structure, the power dividing structure is provided with an input end and two output ends, the input end of the power dividing structure is connected with one signal providing end, the two output ends of the power dividing structure are connected with two electrodes in the electrode group, and the power dividing structure is used for dividing an electric signal of the connected signal providing end into two paths of signals with the same phase and the same power and outputting the signals to the two electrodes in the connected electrode group respectively.
In this implementation, two electrodes of the electrode group can be connected to the same signal supply terminal of the driver by using the power divider, so that the number of signal supply terminals in the driver can be saved. The power dividing structure in the power divider can divide the electric signal of the connected signal supply end into two paths of signals with the same phase and the same power, and ensures that the signals output to the two connected electrodes have the same phase and the same power.
Illustratively, the driver has two signal providing terminals, the power divider includes a power dividing structure, and the power divider further includes a direct connection structure.
The power dividing structure is a structure for dividing an electric signal provided by one signal providing end into two paths with the same phase and the same power and outputting the electric signal to two electrodes respectively. The direct connection structure refers to a structure in which an electric signal supplied from a signal supply terminal is directly transmitted to one electrode.
The first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are the same, the first electrodes are connected with one signal providing end of the driver through the direct connection structure, and the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with the other signal providing end of the driver through the power dividing structure.
The first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are the same, that is, the two electrode pairs share the same first electrode, and the first electrodes belong to the two electrode pairs at the same time and form an electric field with the two second electrodes at the same time.
In the implementation mode, by using the power division structure and sharing the first electrode, the driver only needs 2 signal providing ends, the number of the signal providing ends is maximally saved, the cost of the driver is minimum, and the power consumption is minimum. In addition, the implementation mode only needs to use one power division structure, the structure of the power divider is simple, and the design and the manufacture of the power divider and the connection with the driver and the light modulator are facilitated.
Illustratively, the driver has two signal providing terminals and the power divider includes two power dividing structures.
The two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with one signal providing end of the driver through one of the two power dividing structures, and the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with the other signal providing end of the driver through the other of the two power dividing structures.
In the implementation mode, by using two power division structures, the driver only needs 2 signal providing ends, the number of the signal providing ends is maximally saved, the cost of the driver is minimum, and the power consumption is minimum.
Illustratively, the power divider may be patterned using two or more metal layers.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the power divider may be patterned using two or more metal layers. The two power dividing structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, or the power dividing structures and the direct connection structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers.
That is, the two power dividing structures in the power divider are different layers, or the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure in the power divider are different layers.
The power dividing structure comprises an input connecting portion and two output connecting portions, one end of each input connecting portion is connected with one signal providing end, the other end of each input connecting portion is connected with one end of each output connecting portion, and the other ends of the two output connecting portions are connected with two electrodes in the electrode group.
Wherein the other ends of the two output connection parts are connected with two identical electrodes, such as two first electrodes or two second electrodes.
When a power dividing structure and a direct connection structure in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are respectively identical to the area of an overlapping area of the direct connection structure, the shape, the thickness and the area of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are identical;
or when two power division structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the area of the overlapped area of the two output connection parts of one power division structure is the same as that of the overlapped area of the other power division structure, the shape, the thickness and the area of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are the same.
One end of the input connecting part is an input end of the power dividing structure, and the other end of the output connecting part is an output end of the power dividing structure.
Wherein, the thickness refers to the thickness of the metal layer of the output connection part, and the area refers to the surface area of the output connection part.
When two power division structures in the power divider are arranged in a layered mode, or the power division structures in the power divider and the direct connection structures are arranged in a layered mode, if the overlapping areas of the structures in the two output connection portions and the other material layer are equal, the crosstalk influence on the two output connection portions is identical, and then the power division operation of the electric signal can be completed only by setting the two output connection portions to be identical in shape, thickness and area.
The power dividing structure comprises an input connecting portion and two output connecting portions, one end of each input connecting portion is connected with one signal providing end, the other end of each input connecting portion is connected with one end of each output connecting portion, and the other ends of the two output connecting portions are connected with two electrodes in the electrode group.
When the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure in the power divider are positioned in different material layers and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are different from the areas of the overlapped areas of the direct connection structure respectively, at least one of the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure is different, or the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure;
or when two power division structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the areas of the overlapped areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are different from those of the other power division structure, at least one of the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure is different, or the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the two power division structures.
In this implementation, since the two output connection portions and the other material layer have different areas where structures overlap, the crosstalk effect suffered by the two output connection portions is different, and at this time, the crosstalk needs to be changed by changing the shape and/or thickness and/or area of one of the output connection portions, so that the crosstalk effect suffered by the output connection portions is the same. Alternatively, the crosstalk caused by the overlapping is shielded by adding a shielding metal layer in the middle. Therefore, the normal work of the power division structure can be ensured by the two modes.
Illustratively, the output connection is of a folded line type or an arc type or a straight line type. The linear, folded line and arc structure is convenient for design and manufacture; the adoption of the folded line type and arc type output connection parts can lead the middle part of the output connection parts to be far away from the connection point of the direct connection structure as far as possible when the direct connection structure and the power division structure are positioned on different layers, and avoid the interference caused by the too small distance.
Optionally, the optical modulation system further includes an impedance matching resistor, and two ends of the impedance matching resistor are respectively connected with the two output connection parts. By providing an impedance matching resistor between the two output connection portions, impedance matching of the two output connection portions of the power dividing structure can be achieved.
Illustratively, the optical modulation system further comprises a package substrate, the power divider is fabricated on the package substrate, and the driver and the optical modulator are mounted on the package substrate. On the one hand, the power divider is manufactured on the packaging substrate, so that the design and the manufacture of the power divider can be facilitated, and on the other hand, the driver and the light modulator are connected with the power divider through mounting, so that the assembly of the light modulation system is facilitated.
The optical modulator is generally a multilayer structure, and thus, the requirement of a power divider double-layer wiring can be achieved due to the multilayer structure, for example, the power divider structure and the electrode group are arranged in the same layer, and the straight connection structure is arranged in the lower layer of the electrode group.
In the implementation mode, the driver and the light modulator are both arranged on the packaging substrate, and the packaging substrate is of a multilayer structure, so that the double-layer wiring requirement of the power divider can be guaranteed.
Illustratively, the power divider is integrally formed with the electrode set in the optical modulator. In the implementation mode, the fabrication of the splitter can be completed without additional fabrication process, and the fabrication of the whole light modulation system is simplified. In addition, since the optical modulator and the driver are directly assembled, although the structure of the power divider is increased, no additional assembly process is added.
Illustratively, the power divider is located within the driver. In this implementation, the light modulator and driver can be assembled directly, without additional assembly process, although the structure of the power divider is added.
Illustratively, when the driver has two signal providing terminals, the driver is an operational amplifier. Correspondingly, the optical modulation system further comprises a signal source, and the input end of the operational amplifier is connected with the signal source, so that the signal of the signal source is amplified and then provided for the optical modulator.
Alternatively, the driver is a signal source. In contrast to the former implementation, the signal source in this implementation is capable of providing an electrical signal of sufficient strength, thus eliminating the need for an external operational amplifier.
In another possible implementation manner of the present application, the number of signal providing terminals in the driver is equal to the number of electrodes in the electrode group, and the signal providing terminals of the driver are connected with the electrodes of the electrode group in a one-to-one correspondence manner.
The driver has three signal supply terminals, the first electrodes of the two electrode pairs being identical, the first electrodes being connected to one signal supply terminal of the driver, the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs being connected to the other two signal supply terminals of the driver, respectively.
The driver has four signal supply terminals, two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs being connected to the two signal supply terminals of the driver, respectively, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs being connected to the other two signal supply terminals of the driver, respectively.
In the implementation manner, the signal providing ends of the driver are connected with the electrodes of the electrode pair in a one-to-one correspondence manner, so that wiring between the driver and the light modulator is facilitated.
Illustratively, a driver is a signal source when the driver has three or four signal providing terminals.
Optionally, the optical modulator further includes two ground electrodes, where the two ground electrodes are respectively located at two sides of the electrode group, one end of each ground electrode is respectively connected to an output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs, and the other end of each ground electrode is grounded. By providing the ground electrode connecting the electrode groups, crosstalk in the optical modulator can be reduced. The ground electrodes are respectively arranged on two sides of the electrode group, so that the signal balance of the two arms of the optical waveguide corresponding to the electrodes can be ensured.
Optionally, the optical modulator further includes a plurality of resistors corresponding to a plurality of electrodes in the two electrode pairs, one end of each resistor is connected to an output end of a corresponding electrode, and the other end of each resistor is grounded. And a resistor is connected between the electrode pair and the ground, so that link matching is realized, and signal reflection is reduced.
Optionally, the optical modulation system further includes a capacitor, one end of the capacitor is connected to the output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs, and the other end of the capacitor is grounded. By providing a capacitance between the electrode and ground, signal noise can be reduced.
Optionally, the optical modulation system further includes a plurality of capacitors corresponding to the plurality of signal supply terminals of the driver, one end of each of the capacitors is connected to the corresponding signal supply terminal, and the other end of each of the capacitors is connected to an electrode connected to the corresponding signal supply terminal. By arranging a capacitor between the electrode and the signal supply terminal, the direct current signal can be isolated, and the signal noise can be reduced.
In a second aspect, at least one embodiment of the present application provides an optical modulator comprising an optical waveguide and an electrode set, the optical waveguide comprising two arms; the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned on two sides of the corresponding arm; wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is adapted to be connected to the same driver.
Illustratively, first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are identical, the first electrodes being for connection with one signal providing terminal of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs being for connection with the other signal providing terminal of the driver.
Illustratively, two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are for connection with one signal providing terminal of the driver and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are for connection with the other signal providing terminal of the driver.
Illustratively, first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are identical, the first electrodes are for connection with one signal providing terminal of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are for connection with two other signal providing terminals of the driver, respectively.
For example, two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively used for being connected with two signal supply terminals of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively used for being connected with other two signal supply terminals of the driver.
Illustratively, the electrode set is connected to the driver by a power divider, and the power divider is integrally formed with the electrode set in the light modulator.
The optical modulator further comprises two ground electrodes, wherein the two ground electrodes are respectively positioned at two sides of the electrode group, one end of each ground electrode is respectively connected with the output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs, and the other end of each ground electrode is grounded.
Illustratively, the optical modulator further comprises a plurality of resistors corresponding to a plurality of the two electrode pairs, one end of each resistor being connected to the output terminal of the corresponding electrode, and the other end of each resistor being grounded.
Drawings
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system according to an embodiment of the present application.
Detailed Description
For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein should be given the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms "first," "second," "third," and the like in the description and in the claims, are not used for any order, quantity, or importance, but are used for distinguishing between different elements. Likewise, the terms "a" or "an" and the like do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, is intended to mean that elements or items that are present in front of "comprising" or "comprising" are included in the word "comprising" or "comprising", and equivalents thereof, without excluding other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "connected," and the like, are not limited to electrical connections, but may include physical or mechanical connections, whether direct or indirect.
In the related art, there is provided an optical modulation system adopting a differential modulation scheme, wherein the structure of the optical modulator is as follows: the optical modulator comprises an optical waveguide and an electrode group, the optical waveguide comprises two arms, the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode respectively, the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned at two sides of the corresponding arm, and the two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are positioned between the two arms. The light modulation system comprises two drivers, wherein the two drivers respectively provide signals for two electrode pairs, each driver provides a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal to two electrodes in one electrode pair, and the two electrodes in one electrode pair realize differential modulation of light signals in one arm.
Although the optical modulation system described above can realize differential modulation, the optical modulation system requires two drivers (e.g., operational amplifiers) to be used simultaneously, and the number of drivers is large, resulting in high volume, cost and power consumption of the optical modulation system.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 1, the light modulation system may include a driver 101 and a light modulator 102, and the light modulator 102 may include an optical waveguide 121 and an electrode group 122.
The optical waveguide 121 may include two arms 1210; the electrode group 122 includes two electrode pairs 1220 for providing electric fields to the two arms 1210, respectively, each electrode pair 1220 including a first electrode 1221 and a second electrode 1222, respectively, the two electrodes of each electrode pair 1220 being located on both sides of the corresponding arm 1210, the two first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 being located between the two arms 1210.
Wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs 1220 is connected to the driver 101.
In an embodiment of the present application, the optical modulation system is constituted by a driver and an optical modulator, wherein the optical modulator comprises an optical waveguide and an electrode group comprising two electrode pairs responsible for providing electric fields to two arms of the optical waveguide, each electrode pair comprising two electrodes enabling differential modulation of an optical signal in one arm, and each electrode of the two electrode pairs being connected to the driver. In this way, each electrode of the optical modulator is connected with the same driver, so that when the optical modulation system realizes differential modulation, two drivers are not needed, and only one driver is needed, thereby reducing the number of drivers needed by the optical modulation system, reducing the volume, and reducing the system cost and the power consumption.
Illustratively, a first electrode 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 is positioned between the two arms 1210 of the optical waveguide 121, and two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are positioned on either side of the optical waveguide 121.
In addition, the differential modulation is realized through the optical modulation system, and the amplitude of the electric signal provided by the driver to the optical modulator is improved by 1.7 times compared with the amplitude of the electric signal provided by a non-differential modulation scheme in the related art to the optical modulator.
Illustratively, the optical modulator 102 may be a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, MZI modulator.
In the embodiment of the application, one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a positive electrode, and the other of the first electrode and the second electrode is a negative electrode. For example, the first electrode is a positive electrode and the second electrode is a negative electrode. For another example, the first electrode is a negative electrode and the second electrode is a positive electrode. For convenience of description, the first electrode is taken as a positive electrode, and the second electrode is taken as a negative electrode for example, but the application is not limited thereto.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the first electrode or the second electrode may be a separate electrode, such as a strip electrode as shown in fig. 1. In another possible implementation manner of the present application, the first electrode or the second electrode may be in other shapes, or the first electrode or the second electrode may be formed by connecting a plurality of sub-electrodes, for example, a plurality of sub-electrodes in series, or a plurality of sub-electrodes in parallel, or may be formed in other manners, which is not limited in this application.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include two signal providing terminals, for example, one positive signal providing terminal and one negative signal providing terminal. In another possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include three signal supply terminals, for example, one positive signal supply terminal and two negative signal supply terminals, or one negative signal supply terminal and two positive signal supply terminals. In yet another possible implementation of the present application, the driver may include four signal providing terminals, for example, two positive signal providing terminals and two negative signal providing terminals.
In the above implementation manner, the positive electrode signal supply terminal refers to a terminal for providing a positive voltage signal, and is used for being connected to the positive electrode of the optical modulator to provide the positive voltage signal to the positive electrode. The negative electrode signal supply terminal refers to a terminal for supplying a negative voltage signal, and is used for being connected with a negative electrode of the optical modulator to supply a positive voltage signal to the negative electrode.
In the embodiment of the application, the signal supply end of the driver can be a terminal or an interface, so that the connection between the driver and the optical modulator is convenient.
In the embodiment of the present application, the number of signal supply terminals in the driver is different, and the arrangement manner of the electrodes in the optical modulator and the connection manner of the optical modulator and the driver are also different.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the number of signal providing terminals 110 in the driver 101 is smaller than the number of electrodes in the electrode set 1220. For example, the driver includes 2 signal supply terminals, and the number of electrodes of the electrode group is 3 or 4. In this implementation, the connection of the driver 101 and the light modulator 102 requires the use of a power divider.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 2, the optical modulation system may further include a power divider 103, and the power divider 103 may include at least one power dividing structure 131, and the power dividing structure 131 may have one input terminal and two output terminals, and the input terminal of the power dividing structure 131 is connected to one signal providing terminal, and the two output terminals of the power dividing structure 131 are connected to two electrodes of the electrode group 122.
The power dividing structure 131 is used for dividing the electrical signal of the connected signal supply terminal into two paths of signals with the same phase and the same power, and outputting the signals to the two electrodes in the connected electrode group 122.
In this implementation, two electrodes of the electrode group can be connected to the same signal supply terminal of the driver by using the power divider, so that the number of signal supply terminals in the driver can be saved. The power dividing structure in the power divider can divide the electric signal of the connected signal supply end into two paths of signals with the same phase and the same power, and ensures that the signals output to the two connected electrodes have the same phase and the same power. The optical modulator with the linear electro-optic effect driven by the single driver in a differential mode is realized through a power division structure, so that the maximum modulation swing and extinction ratio are realized.
Referring again to fig. 2, the driver 101 may have two signal supply terminals, the power divider 103 may include a power dividing structure 131, and the power divider 103 may further include a direct connection structure 132.
In this embodiment of the present application, the power dividing structure refers to a structure that divides an electrical signal provided by one signal providing terminal into two paths with the same phase and the same power, and outputs the two paths to two electrodes respectively. The direct connection structure refers to a structure in which an electric signal supplied from a signal supply terminal is directly transmitted to one electrode.
Referring to fig. 2, the first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are identical, the first electrodes 1221 are connected to one signal supply terminal of the driver 101 through the direct connection structure 132, and the two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to the other signal supply terminal of the driver 101 through the power division structure 131.
The first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are the same, that is, the two electrode pairs 1220 share the same first electrode 1221, and the first electrode 1221 belongs to two electrode pairs at the same time, and forms an electric field with the two second electrodes 1222.
Illustratively, one signal supply terminal of the driver supplies a negative voltage signal to the first electrode through the direct connection structure, and the other signal supply terminal of the driver supplies a positive voltage signal to the two second electrodes through the power division structure.
In the implementation mode, by using the power division structure and sharing the first electrode, the driver only needs 2 signal providing ends, the number of the signal providing ends is maximally saved, the cost of the driver is minimum, and the power consumption is minimum. In addition, the implementation mode only needs to use one power division structure, the structure of the power divider is simple, and the design and the manufacture of the power divider and the connection with the driver and the light modulator are facilitated.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 3, the driver 101 may have two signal supply terminals, and the power divider 103 may include two power dividing structures 131.
The two first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to one signal supply terminal of the driver 101 through one of the two power split structures 131, and the two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to the other signal supply terminal of the driver 101 through the other of the two power split structures 131.
Illustratively, one signal supply terminal of the driver supplies a negative voltage signal to the two first electrodes through one power division structure, and the other signal supply terminal of the driver supplies a positive voltage signal to the two second electrodes through the other power division structure.
In the implementation mode, by using two power division structures, the driver only needs 2 signal providing ends, the number of the signal providing ends is maximally saved, the cost of the driver is minimum, and the power consumption is minimum.
It should be noted that the optical modulation system shown in fig. 2 and 3 includes only one optical modulator, where a signal of one driver is provided to one optical modulator through one power divider, and in other implementations, when the optical modulation system includes a plurality of optical modulators, a signal of one driver may be provided to a plurality of optical modulators through a plurality of power dividers, respectively.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the optical modulation system further includes a package substrate 100, the power divider 103 is fabricated on the package substrate 100, and the driver 101 and the optical modulator 102 are mounted on the package substrate 100.
When the power divider 103 is disposed on the package substrate 100, the power divider 103, the driver 101 and the optical modulator 102 may be connected by mounting or routing, respectively.
During the mounting process, the interfaces of the driver 101 and the optical modulator 102 are soldered to the interfaces (i.e., input and output) of the power divider 103.
In this implementation, the driver 101 and the optical modulator 102 are both disposed on a package substrate, which is itself a multi-layer structure, so that the dual-layer wiring requirement of the power divider 103 can be ensured.
The package substrate 100 may be a printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB) or a ceramic substrate, for example.
In the embodiment of the present application, the package substrate 100 is composed of a plurality of film layers, and at least two metal layers are included in the plurality of film layers. The power divider 103 is made of metal layers, and the power divider 103 may be made of two or more metal layers, for example.
Illustratively, the power divider 103 is fabricated on the package substrate 100, and the power divider 103 may be patterned by using two layers of metal on the package substrate 100.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3, since the two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to the other signal supply terminal of the driver 101 through the power dividing structure 131, in order to avoid the power dividing structure 131 from being in contact with the other power dividing structure 131 or the power dividing structure 131 from being in contact with the direct connection structure 132, the power divider 103 may be patterned using two or more metal layers. For example, the two power dividing structures 131 in the power divider 103 are located in different material layers, or the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 in the power divider 103 are located in different material layers. For example, in fig. 2, the power splitting structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 are located in different material layers. As another example, in fig. 3, two power splitting structures 131 are located in different material layers.
Here, the two power dividing structures 131 in the power divider 103 are located in different material layers, or the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 in the power divider 103 are located in different material layers, which means that the two power dividing structures 131 are located in different metal layers, or the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 are located in different metal layers.
The different layers herein mainly refer to different positions of the film layers of the metal layers, and the materials of the different metal layers may be the same or different.
Fig. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 4, the power dividing structure 131 may include one input connection portion 1311 and two output connection portions 1312, one end of the input connection portion 1311 is connected to the signal providing end, the other end of the input connection portion 1311 is simultaneously connected to one ends of the two output connection portions 1312, and the other ends of the two output connection portions 1312 are respectively connected to two electrodes of the electrode group 122.
Fig. 4 shows that, when the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 are located in different material layers, and the two output connection portions 1311 of the power dividing structure 131 are respectively identical to the overlapping area of the direct connection structure 132 in the power divider 103, the shape, thickness and area of the two output connection portions 1311 of the power dividing structure 131 are identical.
Correspondingly, when the power divider includes two power dividing structures 131, the two power dividing structures 131 are located in different material layers, and the two output connection portions 1311 of one power dividing structure 131 are respectively identical to the area of the overlapping area of the other power dividing structure 131, the shape, thickness and area of the two output connection portions 1311 of one power dividing structure 131 are also identical.
In this embodiment, the input connection portion of the power dividing structure 131 is responsible for receiving the electrical signal provided by the signal providing end, and the two output connection portions are responsible for dividing the electrical signal received by the input connection portion into two identical portions, and providing the two portions to the two electrodes respectively.
When two power division structures in the power divider are arranged in a layered mode, or the power division structures in the power divider and the direct connection structures are arranged in a layered mode, if the overlapping areas of the structures in the two output connection portions and the other material layer are equal, the crosstalk influence on the two output connection portions is identical, and then the power division operation of the electric signal can be completed only by setting the two output connection portions to be identical in shape, thickness and area.
Here, the equal overlapping area may be referred to as non-overlapping (overlapping area is 0), or overlapping (overlapping area is greater than 0) and the overlapping area is the same, which will not be explained further herein.
In the embodiment of the present application, the overlapping region may refer to a region where there is overlap in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the layer on which the electrode is located.
Fig. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 5, the power dividing structure 131 includes an input connection portion 1311 and two output connection portions 1312, one end of the input connection portion 1311 is connected to the signal providing end, the other end of the input connection portion 1311 is simultaneously connected to one ends of the two output connection portions 1312, and the other ends of the two output connection portions 1312 are respectively connected to two electrodes in the electrode group 122.
Fig. 5 shows that, when the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132 are located in different material layers, and the two output connection portions 1311 of the power dividing structure 131 are different from the overlapping area of the direct connection structure 132 in the power divider 103, at least one of the shape, thickness and area of the two output connection portions of the power dividing structure 131 is different.
Accordingly, when the power divider includes two power dividing structures 131, the two power dividing structures 131 are located in different material layers, and the areas of the overlapping areas of the two output connection portions 1312 of one power dividing structure 131 are different from the areas of the overlapping areas of the other power dividing structure 132 in the power divider 103, at least one of the shapes, thicknesses and areas of the two output connection portions of one power dividing structure 131 are different.
Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5, the thickness of the two output connection portions is the same, and the area of the output connection portion 1312 having a large overlap area is smaller than the area of the output connection portion 1312 having a small overlap area.
For example, in fig. 5, the overlapping area of the output connection portion 1312 on the right side and the direct connection structure 131 is larger than the overlapping area of the output connection portion 1312 on the left side and the direct connection structure 131, and accordingly, the area of the output connection portion 1312 on the right side is smaller than the area of the output connection portion 1312 on the left side. In fig. 5, the area indicated by the dashed box adjacent to the output connection portion 1312 on the right side is a smaller portion of the output connection portion 1312 on the right side than the output connection portion 1312 on the left side.
In other implementations, when the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure in the power divider are positioned in different material layers, and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are different from the areas of the overlapped areas of the direct connection structure, the shape, the thickness and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure in the power divider;
or when two power division structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the areas of the overlapped areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure and the other power division structure are different, the shape, the thickness and the area of the two output connection parts of the one power division structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the two power division structures in the power divider.
In this implementation, since the two output connection portions and the other material layer have different overlapping areas, the crosstalk effect suffered by the two output connection portions is different, and at this time, the crosstalk needs to be changed by changing the shape and/or area of one of the output connection portions, so that the crosstalk effect suffered by the output connection portions is the same. Alternatively, the crosstalk caused by the overlapping is shielded by adding a shielding metal layer in the middle. Therefore, the normal work of the power division structure can be ensured by the two modes.
As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the output connection portion 1312 may be a zigzag structure, and the power division structure is integrally Y-shaped, so that the zigzag structure is convenient to design and manufacture.
Fig. 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a power divider according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 6, the output connection 1312 may be of an arc type. As shown in fig. 6, the direct connection structure 132 and the power division structure 131 are located at different layers. Taking the case that the power dividing structure 131 is located on the surface layer and the direct connection structure 132 is located on the layer below the power dividing structure 131, an insulating layer (not shown in the figure) is arranged between the power dividing structure 131 and the direct connection structure 132, connecting points 1320 need to be arranged on the same layer of the power dividing structure 131, and two ends of the direct connection structure 132 are connected with the two connecting points 1320 through a via hole penetrating through the insulating layer. At this time, the arc-shaped output connection portion 1312 is adopted, so that the middle portion of the output connection portion 1312 is kept away from the two connection points 1320 as far as possible, and interference caused by too small distance is avoided.
In other implementations, the output connection portion 1312 may be a linear type, which is not described herein.
Fig. 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 7, the power divider 103 is integrally formed with the electrode group 122 in the optical modulator 102. I.e. the separator 103 is manufactured at the same time as the electrode set 122 is manufactured. This implementation corresponds to a reduction in the input of the light modulator, thereby enabling one driver 101 to provide signal driving for each electrode of the electrode set 122.
By integrally formed is meant that at least part of the structure of the power divider 103 and the electrode set 122 are integrally formed, e.g. at least part of the structure of the power divider 103 and the electrode set 122 may be formed using the same metal layer and then obtained by the same patterning process.
Illustratively, the optical modulator 102 may further include a substrate 1020, and the optical waveguide 121, the electrode group 122, and the power divider 103 are fabricated on the substrate 1020. Since the power divider 103 and the electrode group 122 are both fabricated on the substrate 1020, the power divider 103 and the electrode group 122 in the optical modulator 102 may be integrally formed, and the power divider 103 and the driver 101 may be connected by mounting or the like.
In the embodiment of the present application, the optical modulator 102 is generally a multilayer structure, and because of the multilayer structure, the wiring requirement of the power divider can be achieved, for example, the power divider structure is arranged in the same layer as the electrode group, and the straight connection structure is arranged in the lower layer of the electrode group.
Illustratively, the light modulator 102 may include a substrate 1020, and a first insulating layer, a first metal layer, a second insulating layer, a second metal layer, and a protective layer sequentially stacked on the substrate. The substrate may be a silicon substrate, and the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer may be silicon dioxide layers.
The direct connection structure can be located on the first metal layer, the electrode group and the power division structure can be located on the second metal layer, the optical waveguide and the second metal layer are in the same layer, and the thickness of the optical waveguide is smaller than that of the metal layer.
For example, as shown in fig. 7, the power divider 103 includes a direct connection structure and a power dividing structure. When the electrode group is manufactured by the second metal layer, the power dividing structure and the direct connecting structure are connected to the other part of the electrode group through the through hole, so that the integration of the electrode group and the power dividing structure is realized.
In one possible implementation of the present application, the optical waveguide may be a lithium niobate thin film optical waveguide. The light modulator, namely the lithium niobate thin film modulator, has linear electro-optic effect, can realize high-bandwidth modulation and can realize high-speed light transmission.
In other possible implementations, the light modulator may also be other organic high molecular polymer modulators or modulators of other linear effects.
It should be noted that the power divider structure in fig. 7 may be replaced by the power dividers in fig. 4 to 6 or other forms.
Fig. 7 shows the detailed structure of the power divider, in other figures, the power divider is shown only by lines for simplicity of the drawing, and the structural forms of the power divider in other figures can be shown in fig. 4 to 7 or implemented by using other forms of power dividers.
Referring again to fig. 7, the optical modulation system may further include an impedance matching resistor R1, both ends of the impedance matching resistor R1 being connected to the two output connection parts 1312, respectively. By providing the impedance matching resistor R1 between the two output connection portions 1312, impedance matching of the two output connection portions of the power dividing structure can be achieved.
In the optical modulation system shown in the other drawings, the impedance matching resistor R1 may be provided as well.
Illustratively, the impedance matching resistor R1 may have a value in the range of 50 to 150 ohms, for example, the impedance matching resistor R1 has a value of 100 ohms.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 8, the power divider 103 is located within the driver 101.
For example, the driver 103 is a chip structure that, when designed and fabricated, simultaneously designs and fabricates the driver circuit and the power divider. This implementation corresponds to the addition of signal-providing terminals of the driver 101, so that one driver 101 can provide signal driving for each electrode of the electrode group 122.
In one possible implementation of the present application, as shown in fig. 2 to 3 and fig. 7 to 8, the driver 101 may be an operational amplifier. Accordingly, the optical modulation system may further include a signal source, and the input terminal of the operational amplifier is connected to the signal source, so that a signal of the signal source is amplified and then provided to the optical modulator. At least two signal providing ends of the operational amplifier are utilized simultaneously, so that the utilization efficiency of driving resources is improved.
It should be noted that, when the optical modulation system includes a package substrate, the signal source may also be mounted on the package substrate.
Fig. 9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application.
In another possible implementation of the present application, as shown in fig. 9, the driver 101 may be a signal source. In contrast to the former implementation, the signal source in this implementation is capable of providing an electrical signal of sufficient strength, thus eliminating the need for an external operational amplifier.
Illustratively, the signal source may be an optical digital signal processor (optical digital signal processor, ODSP).
Illustratively, the signal source may be a serializer-deserializer (Serdes) chip.
Referring to fig. 9, the signal source has 2 ports. In other implementations, the signal source may have more ports, for example, 3 or 4 ports.
In another possible implementation of the present application, the number of signal providing terminals 110 in the driver 101 is equal to the number of electrodes in the electrode set 122. For example, the driver includes 3 signal supply terminals, and the number of electrodes of the electrode group is 3; alternatively, the driver includes 4 signal supply terminals, and the number of electrodes of the electrode group is 4.
Fig. 10 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 10, the number of signal supply terminals in the driver 101 is equal to the number of electrodes in the electrode group 122. The signal supply terminals of the driver 101 are connected to the electrodes of the electrode group 122 in one-to-one correspondence.
Referring again to fig. 10, the driver 101 may have three signal supply terminals 110.
The first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are identical, the first electrode 1221 being connected to one signal supply terminal of the driver 101, and the two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 being connected to the other two signal supply terminals of the driver 101, respectively.
In this implementation, the driver may be connected to the three electrodes in a one-to-one correspondence manner through three direct connection structures, and it should be noted that in this implementation, there is no power division structure, and thus the three direct connection structures do not constitute a power divider.
In an exemplary embodiment, one signal supply terminal of the driver supplies a positive voltage signal to the first electrode through one direct connection structure, and the other two signal supply terminals of the driver supply a negative voltage signal to the two second electrodes through two direct connection structures, respectively.
The negative voltage signals provided by the other two signal providing ends can be the same.
It should be noted that the driver 101 having three signal supply terminals may also be connected to an electrode group having four electrodes through a power divider, for example, the power divider includes one power dividing structure and two direct connection structures, one signal supply terminal is connected to two electrodes (for example, the first electrode or the second electrode) through the power dividing structure, and the other two signal supply terminals are connected to the other two electrodes (for example, the second electrode or the first electrode) through the two direct connection structures, respectively.
Since the signal providing terminal having three ports has been used, the connection of fig. 10 is generally used in this case, and the connection is more convenient and the overall system structure is simpler.
Fig. 11 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 11, the driver 101 may have four signal supply terminals 110.
Two first electrodes 1221 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to two signal supply terminals of the driver 101, respectively, and two second electrodes 1222 of the two electrode pairs 1220 are connected to the other two signal supply terminals of the driver 101, respectively.
In this implementation, the driver may be connected to the four electrodes in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and it should be noted that in this implementation, there is no power dividing structure, so the four direct connection structures do not constitute a power divider.
The two signal supply terminals of the driver supply positive voltage signals to the two first electrodes through the two direct connection structures, respectively, and the other two signal supply terminals of the driver supply negative voltage signals to the two second electrodes through the two direct connection structures, respectively.
The positive voltage signals provided by the two signal providing terminals may be the same, and the negative voltage signals provided by the other two signal providing terminals may be the same.
As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the driver 101 may be a signal source.
As shown in fig. 2 to 3 and 7 to 11, the light modulator 102 may further include two ground electrodes 123, and the two ground electrodes 123 are located at both sides of the electrode group 122, respectively.
One end of each ground electrode 123 is connected to the output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs 1220, and the other end of each ground electrode 123 is grounded. By providing the ground electrode connecting the electrode groups, crosstalk in the optical modulator can be reduced. The ground electrodes are respectively arranged on two sides of the electrode group, so that the signal balance of the two arms of the optical waveguide corresponding to the electrodes can be ensured.
In the drawings of the present application, the positions of the ground electrodes to which the two ground electrodes are connected in the drawings are different, but are actually the same, and the drawings are merely for convenience of wiring. For example, both ground electrodes are grounded through the package substrate.
As shown in fig. 2 to 3 and 7 to 11, the optical modulator 102 may further include a plurality of resistors R2 corresponding to a plurality of electrodes in the two electrode pairs 1220.
One end of each resistor R2 is connected with the output end of the corresponding electrode, and the other end of each resistor R2 is grounded. And a resistor is connected between the electrode pair and the ground, so that link matching is realized, and signal reflection is reduced.
In one possible implementation, the number of electrodes in the electrode group is the same as the number of resistors R2, and the electrodes and the resistors R2 are in one-to-one correspondence. In other possible implementations, the electrodes and the resistor R2 may be arranged in a one-to-many manner, which is not described here.
Fig. 12 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light modulation system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 12, the light modulation system may further include a capacitor C1.
One end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs 1220, and the other end of the capacitor C1 is grounded. By providing a capacitance between the electrode and ground, signal noise can be reduced.
As shown in fig. 12, the capacitor C1 is connected between the resistor R2 and the ground electrode 123, and the output ends of the respective electrodes connected through the resistor R2 are grounded through the ground electrode 123.
Fig. 12 shows a configuration of a capacitor, and in another possible implementation, as shown in fig. 2 to 3 and fig. 7 to 11, the optical modulation system may further include a plurality of capacitors C2 corresponding to a plurality of signal supply terminals of the driver 101.
One end of each capacitor C2 is connected to the corresponding signal supply terminal, and the other end of each capacitor C2 is connected to an electrode connected to the corresponding signal supply terminal. By arranging a capacitor between the electrode and the signal supply terminal, the direct current signal can be isolated, and the signal noise can be reduced.
Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an optical modulator comprising an optical waveguide comprising two arms and an electrode set; the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned at two sides of the corresponding arm; wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is adapted to be connected to the same driver.
The structure of the optical modulator may refer to the optical modulator in any of fig. 1 to 3 and fig. 7 to 12, which are not described herein.
Optionally, the electrode group is connected to the driver through a power divider, and the power divider is integrally formed with the electrode group in the optical modulator.
Fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 13, the optical communication system includes an optical source 10, an optical modulation system 20, an optical fiber 30, and a receiver 40. The light emitted by the light source 10 is modulated by the optical modulation system 20 to obtain an optical signal, and the optical signal is transmitted to the receiver 40 through the optical fiber 30, so as to realize transmission. The receiver 40 performs back-end signal processing on the optical signal after receiving it.
Wherein the light modulation system 20 is a light modulation system as shown in any one of fig. 1 to 12.
The foregoing is merely an optional embodiment of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions that may be easily contemplated by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the present application should be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims (29)

1. A light modulation system comprising a driver and a light modulator, the light modulator comprising an optical waveguide and an electrode set,
the optical waveguide includes two arms;
the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned on two sides of the corresponding arm;
wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is connected to the driver.
2. The light modulation system of claim 1 wherein the number of signal providing terminals in the driver is less than the number of electrodes in the electrode set,
the optical modulation system also comprises a power divider, the power divider comprises at least one power dividing structure, the power dividing structure is provided with an input end and two output ends, the input end of the power dividing structure is connected with one signal providing end, the two output ends of the power dividing structure are connected with two electrodes in the electrode group,
the power dividing structure is used for dividing the electric signal of the connected signal providing end into two paths of signals with the same phase and the same power and outputting the signals to two electrodes in the connected electrode group respectively.
3. The light modulation system of claim 2 wherein the driver has two signal providing terminals, the power divider comprises a power dividing structure, the power divider further comprises a direct connection structure,
the first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are the same, the first electrodes are connected with one signal providing end of the driver through the direct connection structure, and the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with the other signal providing end of the driver through the power dividing structure.
4. The light modulation system of claim 2 wherein the driver has two signal providing terminals, the power divider comprises two power dividing structures,
the two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with one signal providing end of the driver through one of the two power dividing structures, and the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are connected with the other signal providing end of the driver through the other of the two power dividing structures.
5. A light modulation system according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the two power splitting structures in the power splitter are located in different material layers or wherein the power splitting structures and the direct link structures in the power splitter are located in different material layers.
6. The optical modulation system according to claim 5, wherein the power dividing structure comprises an input connection portion and two output connection portions, one end of the input connection portion is connected to one of the signal supply terminals, the other ends of the input connection portions are respectively connected to one ends of the two output connection portions, the other ends of the two output connection portions are respectively connected to two electrodes of the electrode group,
when a power dividing structure and a direct connection structure in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are respectively identical to the area of an overlapping area of the direct connection structure, the shape, the thickness and the area of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are identical;
or when two power division structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the area of the overlapped area of the two output connection parts of one power division structure is the same as that of the overlapped area of the other power division structure, the shape, the thickness and the area of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are the same.
7. The optical modulation system according to claim 5, wherein the power dividing structure comprises an input connection portion and two output connection portions, one end of the input connection portion is connected to one of the signal supply terminals, the other ends of the input connection portions are respectively connected to one ends of the two output connection portions, the other ends of the two output connection portions are respectively connected to two electrodes of the electrode group,
When the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure in the power divider are positioned in different material layers and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are different from the areas of the overlapped areas of the direct connection structure respectively, at least one of the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure is different, or the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of the power dividing structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the power dividing structure and the direct connection structure;
or when two power division structures in the power divider are positioned on different material layers, and the areas of the overlapped areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are different from those of the other power division structure, at least one of the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure is different, or the shapes, the thicknesses and the areas of the two output connection parts of one power division structure are the same, and a shielding metal layer is arranged between the two power division structures.
8. The light modulation system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the output connection portion is a folded line type, a curved line type, or a straight line type.
9. The light modulation system of any one of claims 6 to 8 further comprising an impedance matching resistor,
and two ends of the impedance matching resistor are respectively connected with the two output connecting parts.
10. The light modulation system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, further comprising a package substrate on which the power divider is fabricated, the driver and the light modulator being mounted on the package substrate.
11. A light modulation system according to any one of claims 2 to 9 wherein the power divider is integrally formed with an electrode set in the light modulator.
12. A light modulation system according to any of claims 2 to 9 wherein the power divider is located within the driver.
13. The optical modulation system according to any one of claims 2 to 12 wherein the driver is an operational amplifier, the optical modulation system further comprising a signal source, an input of the operational amplifier being connected to the signal source;
alternatively, the driver is a signal source.
14. The light modulation system of claim 1 wherein the number of signal providing terminals in the driver is equal to the number of electrodes in the electrode set,
The signal supply end of the driver is connected with the electrodes of the electrode group in a one-to-one correspondence manner.
15. The light modulation system of claim 14 wherein the driver has three signal supply terminals,
the first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are the same, the first electrodes are connected with one signal providing end of the driver, and the two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively connected with the other two signal providing ends of the driver.
16. The light modulation system of claim 14 wherein the driver has four signal supplies,
two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively connected with two signal providing ends of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively connected with the other two signal providing ends of the driver.
17. A light modulation system according to any one of claims 14 to 16 wherein the driver is a signal source.
18. The light modulation system of any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein the light modulator further comprises two ground electrodes, one on each side of the electrode set,
One end of each ground electrode is respectively connected with the output ends of the electrodes in the two electrode pairs, and the other end of each ground electrode is grounded.
19. The light modulation system of any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the light modulator further comprises a plurality of resistors corresponding to a plurality of electrodes of the two electrode pairs,
one end of each resistor is connected with the output end of the corresponding electrode, and the other end of each resistor is grounded.
20. The light modulation system of any one of claims 1 to 19 further comprising a capacitor,
one end of the capacitor is connected with the output end of each electrode in the two electrode pairs respectively, and the other end of the capacitor is grounded.
21. The light modulation system of any one of claims 1 to 19 further comprising a plurality of capacitors corresponding to a plurality of signal providing terminals of the driver,
one end of each capacitor is connected with the corresponding signal providing end, and the other end of each capacitor is connected with an electrode connected with the corresponding signal providing end.
22. An optical modulator, characterized in that the optical modulator comprises an optical waveguide and an electrode group,
The optical waveguide includes two arms;
the electrode group comprises two electrode pairs for providing electric fields for the two arms respectively, each electrode pair comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the two electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned on two sides of the corresponding arm;
wherein each electrode of the two electrode pairs is adapted to be connected to the same driver.
23. The light modulator of claim 22, wherein first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are identical, the first electrodes being for connection to one signal providing terminal of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs being for connection to another signal providing terminal of the driver.
24. The light modulator of claim 22, wherein two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are for connection to one signal providing terminal of the driver and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are for connection to the other signal providing terminal of the driver.
25. The light modulator of claim 22, wherein first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are identical, the first electrodes being for connection to one signal providing terminal of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs being for connection to two other signal providing terminals of the driver, respectively.
26. The light modulator of claim 22, wherein two first electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively for connection with two signal providing terminals of the driver, and two second electrodes of the two electrode pairs are respectively for connection with two other signal providing terminals of the driver.
27. A light modulator as claimed in any one of claims 23 or 24 wherein the electrode groups are connected to the driver by a power divider and the power divider is integrally formed with the electrode groups in the light modulator.
28. The light modulator of any one of claims 22 to 27 further comprising two ground electrodes, one on each side of the electrode set,
one end of each ground electrode is respectively connected with the output ends of the electrodes in the two electrode pairs, and the other end of each ground electrode is grounded.
29. The light modulator of any one of claims 22 to 28 further comprising a plurality of resistors corresponding to a plurality of electrodes of the two electrode pairs,
one end of each resistor is connected with the output end of the corresponding electrode, and the other end of each resistor is grounded.
CN202210714149.0A 2022-06-22 2022-06-22 Optical modulation system and optical modulator Pending CN117311017A (en)

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CN1184506C (en) * 2001-11-11 2005-01-12 华为技术有限公司 Lithium niobate modulator and its making process
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US9733542B2 (en) * 2014-08-25 2017-08-15 Futurewei Technologies, Inc. Multi-segment Mach-Zehnder modulator-driver system
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