Millimetre-wave bandwidth electroabsorption modulators and transceivers

Abstract

This paper reports on high-speed electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) tailored for analogue fibre-optic microwave and millimetre-wave (mm-wave) transmission. Important device issues of broadband lumped and travelling-wave (TW) EAMs are discussed. Additionally, the concept of a lumped EAM with an impedance tuning circuitry is presented for mm-wave narrow-band wireless applications. Further focus is laid upon a multifunctional millimetre-wave electroabsorption transceiver (EAT) that not only acts as a conventional modulator but can simultaneously be employed as a photodetector and an optoelectronic mixer (EATX).