High-performance traveling-wave electroabsorption modulators utilizing mushroom-type waveguide and periodic transmission line loading

For the first time, periodic loaded electrodes and mushroom-type waveguide are combined to improve the performance of traveling-wave electroabsorption modulators (TWEAMs) based on the asymmetric intra-step-barrier coupled double strained quantum well (AICD-SQW). The electrical modulation response of periodic mushroom-type TWEAM is obtained by using equivalent circuit model, and is compared with simulation result of conventional mushroom-type TWEAM counterpart. The equivalent circuit model simulation results indicate that for the exemplary modulation length of 300 μm, the mushroom-type TWEAM with periodic transmission line loading can achieve much wider bandwidth about 99. 7 GHz and 43. 1 GHz than the conventional counterpart with about 43 GHz and 33 GHz for 35Ω and 45 Ω terminations, respectively. © 2012 Tianjin University of Technology and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.