Photon electro-absorption modulation for broadband systems

Abstract

In this work, the photon electro-absorption modulation of laser sources used in broadband systems is presented. We begin explaining the optical pulse broadening phenomenon of light pulses that propagate through an optical fiber, which represents a limiting factor for bandwidth expansion on currently installed optical fiber networks. The photon electro-absorption external modulation for light sources is explained further, along with the physical mechanism inherent to this modulation that minimizes the optical pulse broadening. We conclude mentioning the main advantages of the implementation of this type of modulation in broadband systems.