We demonstrate high baud-rate DQPSK modulation with full-ETDM technique using a novel high-speed optical IQ modulator consisting of a ridge-type optical waveguide structure on a thin LiNbO3 substrate. Our fabrication technique achieves a drastic extension of the modulator's bandwidth and a reduction of half-wave voltage. Demonstration of 90-Gbaud NRZ-DP-DQPSK signal generation with the modulator successfully achieved a bit rate of 360-Gb/s under full-ETDM configuration.

In this paper, we report on our recent work in designing and developing an optical waveguide and optical integrated circuit for optical BFN in adaptive multibeam array antenna. We introduce a new integrated Ti:LiNbO3 waveguide and prove that it is able to yield large birefringence and birefringence dispersion. We present a new technique using a microwave-modulated optical wave to measure the birefringence in integrated Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides. The measuring results show that the new waveguide has a birefringence of 0.08 and birefringence dispersion of 0.05 µm-1 at optical wavelength of 1.55 µm. When the new Ti:LiNbO3 is applied to form a integrated optical waveguide array in optical beamforming network, it is shown that microwave phase shifts within the range of [-180, +180] is achieved by tuning the optical wavelength 10 nm around 1.55 µm.

We describe the design, fabrication, and characteristics of a push-pull type ridged Ti:LiNbO3 optical modulator with two electrodes. The structure keeps microwave propagation loss low and enables a large interaction between microwaves and optical waves under the condition of velocity and impedance matching, resulting in a large modulation bandwidth and low driving voltage. Using this structure, we have developed an optical intensity modulator with an optical 3-dB bandwidth of 45 GHz (an electrical 3-dB bandwidth of 30 GHz) and a half-wave voltage of 3.9 V in single-electdoe operation (a half-wave voltage of 1.95 V in push-pull operation)at a wavelength of 1.55µm.

This paper reviews Ti:LiNbO3 and semiconductor optical waveguide modulators. The operating principle of the Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguide modulator is based on the Pockels effect. On the other hand, semiconductor optical modulators can be operated based on the Pockels effect, the Franz-Keldysh effect, or the quantum confined stark effect (QCSE) by employing multiple quantum wells (MQWs). Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguide modulators are discussed with emphasis on the velocity-matching and optical waveguides. MQW optical waveguide modulators are discussed in view-point of design of a MQW structure, waveguide and modulation bandwidth.

A shielded velocity-matched Ti:LiNbO3 optical modulator with a ridge is investigated. The analytical method is based on the second-order triangular element finite element method. The thickness of the coplanar waveguide traveling-wave electrode is taken into consideration and the relationship between the electrode thickness and optimum overlaid layer thickness is clarified. Incorporating a ridge into these Ti:LiNbO3 optical modulators can improve not only their modulation bandwidth but also their driving voltage.