Recently, several on-chip acoustic wave (AW)-coupled AO modulators have been successfully demonstrated using thin-film piezoelectric materials1 such as zinc oxide2, gallium arsenide3, and aluminum nitride4. For optimal performance AW modulation however, an optical waveguide with low loss and an IDT capable of high efficiency should be seamlessly integrated into an optoelectronic platform.
To investigate the spectral properties of several nonuniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based acousto-optic modulators, a Fourier mode coupling model was utilized. Numerical simulation results were obtained under various frequencies and strain conditions induced by sound waves.
To investigate the spectral properties of several nonuniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based acousto-optic modulators, a Fourier mode coupling model was utilized. Numerical simulation results were obtained under various frequencies and strain conditions induced by sound waves.
Acousto-optic modulation
Acousto-optic modulators are devices that use the interaction between acoustic waves and optical materials to alter light in various ways, including deflecting, changing intensity or frequency shifts or rotating polarization.
Acoustic waves interact with different crystals to change their index of refraction, creating Brillouin scattering effects which allow researchers to manipulate light, such as controlling its speed, direction and intensity as a laser pulse passes by.
One of the primary uses for acousto-optic devices is to alter and control the intensity of laser beams. This can be accomplished with simple ON:OFF control or by modulating variable level amplitude modulation using an RF driver, providing electronic power to power and regulate an acousto-optic device as well as controlling its rise time (how quickly an acoustic wave travels across laser beam).
Acousto-optic modulators offer another advantageous feature in that they require only minimal electric power to produce an acoustic wave, making them great for use in small devices or situations where space is at a premium.
These devices typically boast low insertion loss and high extinction ratios (the proportion of incident light that is absorbed or diffracted). They can be created using various acousto-optic materials, including zinc oxide3, gallium arsenide4, aluminum nitride5 and lithium niobate6.
Key to creating high-performance acousto-optic devices lies in designing them to produce periodic variations in index of refraction, typically achieved through crystal arrangement which causes compressions and rarefactions associated with an acoustic wave to create a grating that deflects light rays.
These deflectors can be combined with Q-switches to form a two-photon microscope. Their uses span from visible light imaging all the way through infrared and beyond.
Integrated acousto-optic devices have been created that can be utilized in on-chip photonic circuits for easier design of acousto-optic systems and cost-efficient manufacturing.
Acoustic waves interact with different crystals to change their index of refraction, creating Brillouin scattering effects which allow researchers to manipulate light, such as controlling its speed, direction and intensity as a laser pulse passes by.
One of the primary uses for acousto-optic devices is to alter and control the intensity of laser beams. This can be accomplished with simple ON:OFF control or by modulating variable level amplitude modulation using an RF driver, providing electronic power to power and regulate an acousto-optic device as well as controlling its rise time (how quickly an acoustic wave travels across laser beam).
Acousto-optic modulators offer another advantageous feature in that they require only minimal electric power to produce an acoustic wave, making them great for use in small devices or situations where space is at a premium.
These devices typically boast low insertion loss and high extinction ratios (the proportion of incident light that is absorbed or diffracted). They can be created using various acousto-optic materials, including zinc oxide3, gallium arsenide4, aluminum nitride5 and lithium niobate6.
Key to creating high-performance acousto-optic devices lies in designing them to produce periodic variations in index of refraction, typically achieved through crystal arrangement which causes compressions and rarefactions associated with an acoustic wave to create a grating that deflects light rays.
These deflectors can be combined with Q-switches to form a two-photon microscope. Their uses span from visible light imaging all the way through infrared and beyond.
Integrated acousto-optic devices have been created that can be utilized in on-chip photonic circuits for easier design of acousto-optic systems and cost-efficient manufacturing.
Electro-optic modulation
Electro-optic modulation (EOM) is a form of phase modulation that encodes information through variations in the polarization of an optical beam. It can be used to modulate its amplitude, shift its frequency or deflect it at different angles; typically with Pockels cells being employed.
These devices are constructed from crystalline materials like ammonium dihydrogen phosphate or lithium niobate. When an external voltage is applied, birefringence occurs within the crystal, causing its two components of an incoming light beam to travel at differing velocities within it.
Electro-optic effects can be exceptionally potent: with just one device capable of simultaneously modulating amplitude and phase of hundreds of wavelengths simultaneously – or more when multiple modulators are combined together – controlling both their amplitude and phase can allow users to shift frequencies without resorting to high drive voltages. This technology has many applications where frequency shifting is desired without using excessively high drive voltages.
However, modulators can present some issues. Photorefractive damage arises when photoexcited charge carriers migrate from illuminated regions of a crystal to darker ones causing local distortions in its refractive index index resulting in reduced modulation performance and possible ringing effects.
Thermal instability can also present itself at very high switching frequencies and its ability to be managed depends on both the type of crystal material as well as on dimensions, orientation, and mechanical design of the device in question.
Electro-optic devices driven by electricity may generate mechanical vibrations that alter their refractive index and thus hinder efficient switching of large amounts of power.
These effects may lead to various optical errors, including spatial and temporal chirps that impede application. Therefore, it is vital that methods are developed to minimize such issues, since their impacts could significantly diminish imaging or measurement results.
To combat these challenges, electro-optic devices must be carefully designed and manufactured so as to be compatible with emerging integrated optical platforms. This requires innovation both in terms of device designs as well as materials used for their construction.
These devices are constructed from crystalline materials like ammonium dihydrogen phosphate or lithium niobate. When an external voltage is applied, birefringence occurs within the crystal, causing its two components of an incoming light beam to travel at differing velocities within it.
Electro-optic effects can be exceptionally potent: with just one device capable of simultaneously modulating amplitude and phase of hundreds of wavelengths simultaneously – or more when multiple modulators are combined together – controlling both their amplitude and phase can allow users to shift frequencies without resorting to high drive voltages. This technology has many applications where frequency shifting is desired without using excessively high drive voltages.
However, modulators can present some issues. Photorefractive damage arises when photoexcited charge carriers migrate from illuminated regions of a crystal to darker ones causing local distortions in its refractive index index resulting in reduced modulation performance and possible ringing effects.
Thermal instability can also present itself at very high switching frequencies and its ability to be managed depends on both the type of crystal material as well as on dimensions, orientation, and mechanical design of the device in question.
Electro-optic devices driven by electricity may generate mechanical vibrations that alter their refractive index and thus hinder efficient switching of large amounts of power.
These effects may lead to various optical errors, including spatial and temporal chirps that impede application. Therefore, it is vital that methods are developed to minimize such issues, since their impacts could significantly diminish imaging or measurement results.
To combat these challenges, electro-optic devices must be carefully designed and manufactured so as to be compatible with emerging integrated optical platforms. This requires innovation both in terms of device designs as well as materials used for their construction.
Electro-optic deflectors
Electro-optic deflectors are devices composed of prisms composed of electro-optic crystals such as lithium niobate. When voltage is applied to this crystal, its index of refraction changes, altering how light travels through it.
Index gradient is proportional to both applied voltage and wavelength of beam passing through prism, using change in index of refraction as means to deflect it.
These deflectors have many uses in the optical industry and can be found in display systems, laser printers, laser imaging systems, optical data storage devices, as well as being employed in laser telecommunications.
Electro-Optic deflectors are purposely constructed so they appear as capacitive loads to signal generators and offer precise responses to the applied signals. Their angular deflection remains small and their target zero signal position remains the same.
Electro-optic deflectors offer many advantages beyond their scalability. One advantage is their driver limit functionality – this ensures the device responds only to signal voltage applied, thus eliminating variations due to ambient temperature variations.
E-O deflectors can also be configured so they deflect light evenly in both directions – ideal for beam scan applications in which just a single beam must be deflected at once in two different directions.
Electro-optic deflectors offer another significant benefit in terms of speed. Their quick A/D conversion enables high resolution digital image creation.
An acousto-optic deflector works similarly to its electro-optic counterpart but uses sound waves instead of an electric field as its deflection medium. Due to the long wavelengths associated with sound compared with light wavelengths, its deflection angle tends to be very small making it suitable for applications such as laser illumination and beam diagnostics.
Index gradient is proportional to both applied voltage and wavelength of beam passing through prism, using change in index of refraction as means to deflect it.
These deflectors have many uses in the optical industry and can be found in display systems, laser printers, laser imaging systems, optical data storage devices, as well as being employed in laser telecommunications.
Electro-Optic deflectors are purposely constructed so they appear as capacitive loads to signal generators and offer precise responses to the applied signals. Their angular deflection remains small and their target zero signal position remains the same.
Electro-optic deflectors offer many advantages beyond their scalability. One advantage is their driver limit functionality – this ensures the device responds only to signal voltage applied, thus eliminating variations due to ambient temperature variations.
E-O deflectors can also be configured so they deflect light evenly in both directions – ideal for beam scan applications in which just a single beam must be deflected at once in two different directions.
Electro-optic deflectors offer another significant benefit in terms of speed. Their quick A/D conversion enables high resolution digital image creation.
An acousto-optic deflector works similarly to its electro-optic counterpart but uses sound waves instead of an electric field as its deflection medium. Due to the long wavelengths associated with sound compared with light wavelengths, its deflection angle tends to be very small making it suitable for applications such as laser illumination and beam diagnostics.
Electro-optic switches
Electro-optic switches (also referred to as optical switches) are key components in modern fiber optic communication systems, providing signals at different wavelengths to various ports or controlling data transmission at high speeds. While electronic switches rely on certain protocols or line speeds for functioning properly, true optical switches support all transmission speeds without needing upgrades when new protocols are introduced.
Electro-optical switches use semiconductor devices to rapidly change the refractive index of a beam, leading to total internal reflection (TIR), which allows light to switch paths. Achieving such changes requires significant amounts of energy.
Electro-optic modulators offer many advantages over their mechanical counterparts, with multiple power supplies driving them. This versatility enables them to be used across a range of applications and high-speed transmission systems in particular.
Driving electronics for an electro-optic switch are usually complex and expensive components, requiring them to provide specific voltage, impedance, drive power capability and bandwidth capabilities for optimal operation.
Electro-optic modulators offer many advantages, not the least being their small size and seamless integration into a circuit. This device is well suited to microelectronics applications as it can be made out of different materials like silicon or other semiconductors.
There are various types of electro-optic switches on the market, each boasting its own set of performance attributes. For instance, some modulators can achieve an extremely low insertion loss while others boast high values depending on specific model features.
Electro-optic switches’ performance depends heavily on their operating principle, material used and fabrication routes. Thankfully, there are numerous easy-to-fabricate electro-optic switches on the market that provide excellent insertion loss performance with rapid switching speeds and minimal crosstalk; making them suitable for high speed communications systems.
Electro-optical switches use semiconductor devices to rapidly change the refractive index of a beam, leading to total internal reflection (TIR), which allows light to switch paths. Achieving such changes requires significant amounts of energy.
Electro-optic modulators offer many advantages over their mechanical counterparts, with multiple power supplies driving them. This versatility enables them to be used across a range of applications and high-speed transmission systems in particular.
Driving electronics for an electro-optic switch are usually complex and expensive components, requiring them to provide specific voltage, impedance, drive power capability and bandwidth capabilities for optimal operation.
Electro-optic modulators offer many advantages, not the least being their small size and seamless integration into a circuit. This device is well suited to microelectronics applications as it can be made out of different materials like silicon or other semiconductors.
There are various types of electro-optic switches on the market, each boasting its own set of performance attributes. For instance, some modulators can achieve an extremely low insertion loss while others boast high values depending on specific model features.
Electro-optic switches’ performance depends heavily on their operating principle, material used and fabrication routes. Thankfully, there are numerous easy-to-fabricate electro-optic switches on the market that provide excellent insertion loss performance with rapid switching speeds and minimal crosstalk; making them suitable for high speed communications systems.
