128 Gbit/s high speed optical interconnection networks in data centers by a 30 GHz Mach-Zehnder modulator

A decision feedback equalization(DFE)algorithm is proposed by simplifying Volterra structure.The simplification principle and process of the proposed Volterra-based equalization algorithm are presented.With the support of this algorithm,the signal damage for four-level pulse amplitude modulation signal(PAM-4)is compensated,which is caused by device bandwidth limitation and dispersion during transmission in C-band intensity modulation direct detection(IM-DD)fiber system.Experiments have been carried out to demonstrate that PAM-4 signals can transmit over 2 km in standard single-mode fiber(SSMF)based on a 30 GHz Mach-Zehnder modulator(MZM).The bit error rate(BER)can reach the threshold of hard decision-forward error correction(HD-FEC)(BER=3.8×10-3)and its sensitivity is reduced by 2 d Bm compared with traditional feedforward equalization(FFE).Meanwhile,the algorithm complexity is greatly reduced by 55%,which provides an effective theoretical support for the commercial application of the algorithm.

Bias-Independent Inter-Modulation Method for Simultaneously Measuring Low-Frequency Modulation and Bias Half-Wave Voltages of Mach-Zehnder Modulators

A bias-independent inter-modulation method is proposed and demonstrated for measuring low-frequency modulation and bias half-wave voltages of Mach-Zehnder modulators(MZMs).The method consists of simultaneous sinusoidal modulation on the modulation and bias ports of the MZM under test.Sinusoidal-modulated sidebands heterodyne with each other and generate the desired inter-modulation products after photodetection,which allows extracting both the modulation depth and half-wave voltage for the modulation and bias ports of the MZM.Our method is independent of bias voltages of the MZM,which can be canceled out by carefully choosing the sinusoidal-modulation frequencies.Moreover,the proposed method enables the low swing voltage for measuring both the modulation depth and half-wave voltage of MZMs.Experiments indicate that the proposed method features the simple setup and high accuracy for low-frequency response measurement ranging from 1 Hz to 1 MHz.

Tunable frequency-multiplying optoelectronic oscillator based on a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator incorporating a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating

A tunable frequency-multiplying optoelectronic oscillator(OEO) based on a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator(DPMZM) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed system, the tunable fundamental microware signal is generated by a tunable optoelectronic oscillator incorporating a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating(PS-FBG). By adjusting the DC bias of the DPMZM, the frequency-doubled microwave signal with a tunable frequency range from 11 GHz to 20 GHz and the frequency-quadrupled microwave signal with a tunable frequency range from 22.5 GHz to 26 GHz are generated. The phase noises of the fundamental, frequency-doubled and frequency-quadrupled signals at 10 k Hz offset frequency are-105.9 d Bc/Hz,-103.3 d Bc/Hz and-86.2 d Bc/Hz, respectively.

Influence of substrate effect on near-field radiative modulator based on biaxial hyperbolic materials

Relative rotation between the emitter and receiver could effectively modulate the near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)in anisotropic media.Due to the strong in-plane anisotropy,natural hyperbolic materials can be used to construct near-field radiative modulators with excellent modulation effects.However,in practical applications,natural hyperbolic materials need to be deposited on the substrate,and the influence of substrate on modulation effect has not been studied yet.In this work,we investigate the influence of substrate effect on near-field radiative modulator based onα-MoO_(3).The results show that compared to the situation without a substrate,the presence of both lossless and lossy substrate will reduce the modulation contrast(MC)for different film thicknesses.When the real or imaginary component of the substrate permittivity increases,the mismatch of hyperbolic phonon polaritons(HPPs)weakens,resulting in a reduction in MC.By reducing the real and imaginary components of substrate permittivity,the MC can be significantly improved,reaching 4.64 forε_(s)=3 at t=10 nm.This work indicates that choosing a substrate with a smaller permittivity helps to achieve a better modulation effect,and provides guidance for the application of natural hyperbolic materials in the near-field radiative modulator.

Multi-tap microwave photonic filter with positive and negative coefficients based on an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder modulator

A novel approach for the implementation of microwave photonic filter with positive and negative coefficients based on an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder modulator(MZM) is proposed.In the proposed filter,a microwave signal to be filtered is applied to an unbalanced MZM.Thanks to the unbalance between the two arms of the modulator,a π phase shift is obtained by adjusting the wavelength interval between the adjacent wavelengths,which leads to the generation of the positive and negative coefficients.The theoretical fundamentals of the design are described,which show that the required unbalanced MZM in the scheme can be well fabricated by the current technology,and the required other components,including the wavelength multiplexer,are also commercially available devices.An eight-tap microwave photonic filter with positive and negative coefficients is demonstrated.The tunability and reconfigurability of the eight-tap microwave photonic filter are also investigated to verify our approach.

Optical ultra-wideband pulse generation and distribution using a dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator

A novel approach to generate and distribute ultra-wideband(UWB) pulses in optical domain is investigated. In this proposed scheme,a dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator(DE-MZM) is biased at its quadrature point so as to realize the linear response.Then the intensity of output optical field can be assumed to the subtraction of two input Gaussian pulses.If the input Gaussian pulses are with the same sharp parameters but different time delays,a quasi-monocycle-waveform UWB signal can be generated.If the input Gaussian pulses are with different amplitudes and full-width at half-maximum(FWHM),a quasi-doublet-waveform UWB signal can be generated.A transmission of the UWB signals through a 25-km single mode fiber is carried out successfully.The results in both temporal and frequency domains are also presented.

A flexible multi-16QAM transmitter based on cascaded dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator and phase modulator

In this paper,we propose a novel and flexible 16-quadrature amplitude modulation(16QAM) transmitter based on cascaded dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator(DPMZM) and phase modulator(PM).The proposed transmitter is able to generate three types of 16QAM signals:square 16QAM,star 16QAM and four-amplitude-four-phase-16-QAM(FAFP-16QAM).The feasibility of the transmitter is verified through experiment,20-Gb/s eye diagrams of the 16QAM signals are obtained.In order to evaluate the performances of the 16QAM signals,simulations are also conducted using VPI Transmission Maker,clear constellations of 40-Gb/s 16QAM signals are achieved by coherent detection.

Compact temperature-insensitive modulator based on a silicon microring assistant Mach-Zehnder interferometer

On the silicon-on-insulator platform,an ultra compact temperature-insensitive modulator based on a cascaded microring assistant Mach-Zehnder interferometer is proposed and demonstrated with numerical simulation.According to the calculated results,the tolerated variation of ambient temperature can be as high as 134℃while the footprint of such a silicon modulator is only 340μm^2.

Nonlinearity modelling of an on-board microwave photonics system based on Mach-Zehnder modulator

For the nonlinearity distortion problem of Mach-Zehnder modulator(MZM)applied in the on-board microwave photonics system,the situation for two input radio frequency(RF)signals with different frequencies and phases is discussed,and an exact analytical solution is derived with the method of expanding Bessel series and Graf addition theory.According to the analytical expression,the nonlinearity characteristics of the modulator can be precisely predicted,and the system performance can be optimized.The correctness of the analytical solution is approved by simulation results.Analytical results indicate that the nonlinearity distortion is suppressed as the decrease of modulation index,the increase of direct current bias phase shift and phase difference between two input RF signals.When the phase difference equals zero orπand the direct current bias phase shift isπ/2,there are only odd-order distortion terms.When the phase difference equals zero orπand the direct current bias phase shift isπ,there are only even-order distortion terms.

Silicon mode-loop Mach-Zehnder modulator with L-shaped PN junction for 0.37 V·cm V_(π)L high-efficiency modulation

Optical signaling without a high voltage driver for electric-optic modulation is in high demand to reduce power consumption,packaging complexity,and cost.In this work,we propose and experimentally demonstrate a silicon mode-loop Mach–Zehnder modulator(ML-MZM) with record-high modulation efficiency.We used a mode-loop structure to recycle light twice in the phase shifter.With an L-shaped PN junction,a comparably large overlap between the PN junction and optical modes of both TE0 and TE1 was achieved to lower the driving voltage or decrease the photonic device size.Proof-of-concept high-efficiency modulation with low VπL of 0.37 V · cm was obtained.Subvoltage Vπcan be realized with a millimeter’s length phase shifter by this scheme,which makes the realization of CMOS-compatible driverless modulation highly possible.40 Gb/s signaling with a bit error rate below the 7% forward-error-correction threshold was then demonstrated with the fabricated ML-MZM,indicating great potential for high-speed optical communication.

A novel scheme to generate 40-GHz CSRZ pulse trains using a 10-GHz dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator

A new technique to generate 40-GHz carrier-suppressed return-to-zero(CSRZ) optical pulse trains using only a 10-GHz dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator(MZM) is presented and experimentally demonstrated.The spectrum of the generated CSRZ pulses is calculated by simulation and compared with conventional MZM-based RZ and CSRZ pulse trains.The experimental results demonstrate that CSRZ pulse trains are obtained,and that the carrier and the unwanted 20-GHz low-frequency component are suppressed by 25 dB.The technique can also be extended to 160-GHz CSRZ pulse generation when 40-GHz devices are employed.

Optical frequency comb with tunable free spectral range based on two Mach-Zehnder modulators cascaded with linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating and phase modulator

An approach for generating optical frequency comb(OFC)with tunable free spectral range(FSR)is proposed.Two Mach-Zehnder modulators(MZMs)driven by phase-shifted sinusoidal signals are cascaded to generate OFC with plentiful comb lines and the FSR controlled by the drive frequency.Subsequently,a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating(LCFBG)and a phase modulator(PM)are used to increase the comb FSR by a particular integer multiple.Therefore,by simultaneously controlling the drive frequency of MZMs,the dispersion amount of the LCFBG and the drive signal of the PM,an OFC with desired FSR can be achieved.

Mach-Zehnder Type Annealed Proton Exchange Waveguide and Coplanar Waveguide Modulation Electrode LiNbO_3 Intensity Modulator

The characteristics of a conventional LiNbO3 intensity modulator made up of a Mach-Zehnder(MZ) type annealed proton exchange(APE) waveguide and coplanar waveguide(CPW) modulation electrode are presented. The APE waveguide characteristics and their relations with process parameters are analyzed. At the same time, the electrical characteristics of modulation electrode, such as modulation voltage, microwave effective index associated with modulation bandwidth, characteristics impedance, are also investigated in detail.

40-Gb/s star 16-QAM transmitter based on single dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator

We propose a 40-Gb/s star 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) transmitter using a single dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DDMZM). This transmitter is demonstrated through experiment and simulation and shows the advantage of simplicity for implementation. Simulation results indicate that error free performance could be achieved for the generated signal after 80-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission with coherent detection scheme.

UWB-over-Fiber transmission system using a dual-output Mach-Zehnder modulator

A novel scheme for ultra-wideband(UWB) monocycle pulse generation is proposed based on a dual-output push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulator(MZM).The MZM is driven by a non-return-to-zero(NRZ) data sequence and biased at the nonlinear point to generate edge-triggered pulses.To combine the complementary pulses forming a monocycle UWB pulse,two schemes are used to implement incoherent summation structure. A proof-of-concept experiment of UWB-over-fiber down-link system is set up.Further,by using digital signal processing(DSP) to calculate the bit error rate(BER),the transmission performance of two system configurations is studied.

基于Mach-Zehnder干涉装置的散射体偏振特性研究

根据偏振度测量原理推导了相干矩阵中各个参数的测量公式,主要是复参量的实部与虚部.基于Mach-Zehnder干涉装置搭建了散射体偏振度测试平台,并对同一粒径不同浓度散射体的偏振特性进行了测试.结果表明:浓度为0.00625%的聚苯乙烯(Polystyrene,PS)散射介质光散射较弱,偏振度值高达0.992,散射体具有良好的保偏特性;随着聚苯乙烯散射介质浓度增大到0.025%,光散射增强,偏振度值降至0.545,散射体的退偏效果显著.

基于Mach-Zehnder干涉仪的自相似激光器压缩系统设计

为了研究自相似脉冲在Mach-Zehnder干涉仪的压缩特性,采用非线性薛定谔方程对自相似脉冲的演化和压缩进行了模拟,分析了基于级联单模光纤的Mach-Zehnder干涉仪的光纤参数对脉冲压缩的影响。结果表明,在不考虑高阶色散的情况下,当上臂的两种单模光纤长度分别为8.16 m和2.16 m、下臂的单模光纤长度为8.16 m时,获得半峰全宽为27.85 fs、峰值功率为1860.59 W、基座能量比例为10.241%的最佳压缩脉冲;考虑高阶色散时,脉冲在单模光纤中传输呈现出峰值功率增大、基座增大的现象,且脉冲右移不利于输出基座较小的压缩脉冲;当3阶色散系数小于0.001 ps^(3)/km时,利用Mach-Zehnder干涉仪来压缩能获得质量较好的飞秒脉冲。该研究结果对于自相似脉冲的压缩研究具有一定的参考价值。

Unveiling the biological role of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators in inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that has a high epidemiological prevalence worldwide.The increasing disease burden worldwide,lack of response to current biologic therapeutics,and treatment-related immunogenicity have led to major concerns regarding the clinical management of IBD patients and treatment efficacy.Understanding disease pathogenesis and disease-related molecular mechanisms is the most important goal in developing new and effective therapeutics.Sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P)receptor(S1PR)modulators form a class of oral small molecule drugs currently in clinical development for IBD have shown promising effects on disease improvement.S1P is a sphingosine-derived phospholipid that acts by binding to its receptor S1PR and is involved in the regulation of several biological processes including cell survival,differentiation,migration,proliferation,immune response,and lymphocyte trafficking.T lymphocytes play an important role in regulating inflammatory responses.In inflamed IBD tissue,an imbalance between T helper(Th)and regulatory T lymphocytes and Th cytokine levels was found.The S1P/S1PR signaling axis and metabolism have been linked to inflammatory responses in IBD.S1P modulators targeting S1PRs and S1P metabolism have been developed and shown to regulate inflammatory responses by affecting lymphocyte trafficking,lymphocyte number,lymphocyte activity,cytokine production,and contributing to gut barrier function.

Broadband all-fiber optical phase modulator based on photo-thermal effect in a gas-filled hollow-core fiber

We report broadband all-fiber optical phase modulation based on the photo-thermal effect in a gas-filled hollow-core fiber.The phase modulation dynamics are studied by multi-physics simulation.A phase modulator is fabricated using a 5.6-cm-long anti-resonant hollow-core fiber with pure acetylene filling.It has a half-wave optical power of 289 mW at 100 kHz and an average insertion loss 0.6 dB over a broad wavelength range from 1450 to 1650 nm.The rise and fall time constants are 3.5 and 3.7μs,respectively,2–3 orders of magnitude better than the previously reported microfiber-based photo-thermal phase modulators.The gas-filled hollow-core waveguide configuration is promising for optical phase modulation from ultraviolet to mid-infrared which is challenging to achieve with solid optical fibers.

Waveguide-integrated optical modulators with two-dimensional materials

Waveguide-integrated optical modulators are indispensable for on-chip optical interconnects and optical computing.To cope with the ever-increasing amount of data being generated and consumed,ultrafast waveguide-integrated optical modulators with low energy consumption are highly demanded.In recent years,two-dimensional(2D)materials have attracted a lot of attention and have provided tremendous opportunities for the development of high-performance waveguide-integrated optical modulators because of their extraordinary optoelectronic properties and versatile compatibility.This paper reviews the state-of-the-art waveguide-integrated optical modulators with 2D materials,providing researchers with the developing trends in the field and allowing them to identify existing challenges and promising potential solutions.First,the concept and fundamental mechanisms of optical modulation with 2D materials are summarized.Second,a review of waveguide-integrated optical modulators employing electro-optic,all-optic,and thermo-optic effects is provided.Finally,the challenges and perspectives of waveguide-integrated modulators with 2D materials are discussed.