Open AccessTraveling wave electrode design of electro-optically modulated coupled-cavity surface-emitting lasers
Author(s) -
Mateusz Zujewski,
Hugo Thienpont,
Krassimir Panajotov
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.026184
Subject(s) - optics , materials science , vertical cavity surface emitting laser , modulation (music) , laser , optoelectronics , optical modulator , electro optic modulator , reflection (computer programming) , electrode , semiconductor laser theory , frequency modulation , phase modulation , physics , radio frequency , acoustics , telecommunications , quantum mechanics , computer science , phase noise , programming language
We present a novel design of an electro-optically modulated coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (CC-VCSEL) with traveling wave electrodes of the modulator cavity, which allows to overcome the RC time constant of a traditional lumped electrode structures. The CC-VCSEL optical design is based on longitudinal mode switching which has recently experimentally demonstrated a record modulation speed. We carry out segmented transmission line electrical design of the modulator cavity in order to compensate for the low impedance of the modulator section and to match the 50 Ω electrical network. We have optimized two types of highly efficient modulator structures reaching -3 dB electrical cut-off frequency of f(cut-off) = 330 GHz with maximum reflection of -22 dB in the range from f(LF) = 100 MHz to f(cut-off) and 77 - 89% modulation efficiency.