Complex thin oxide films with electro-optic (EO) properties are promising for use in advanced optical devices because of their large EO effect. We developed a method of aerosol deposition (AD) for fabricating EO films. The mechanism for AD is based on the solidification by impact of submicron particles onto a substrate. Since particles in AD films preserve their crystalline structure during the formation of film, epitaxial growth is not necessary for exhibiting the EO effect. Highly transparent Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 films, which have acceptable transmittance loss for use as optical devices, were directly deposited on glass substrates by AD. We found the Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 film by AD produced a fairly high EO coefficient (>150 pm/V), approximately 10 times larger than that of LiNbO3. A Fabry-Perot (FP) optical modulator was developed with EO films fabricated by AD. We demonstrated the modulation of optical intensity with an electrical field applied to an EO film made of ferroelectric Pb (Zr, Ti)O3.

An optically scanning electromagnetic field probe system consisting of an electro-optic or magneto-optic crystal and a galvano scanner is proposed for high-speed electromagnetic field distribution measurements. We used this technique to measure electromagnetic field distributions near printed circuit boards or ICs to address electromagnetic compatibility problems or in designing electronic devices. With our scanning system, we can measure the electric field intensities of about 40,000 points with an area of 4040 mm in about 3 minutes (4 ms per point) up to 2.7 GHz. We measured the electric near-field distribution above a five-split transmission line using a cadmium telluride (CdTe) electro-optic crystal. The measurement results showed that the spatial resolution of the system was less than 400 µm in the case of a common current with a crystal thickness of 1 mm. The electric near-field distribution above a microstrip line filter was measured using LiNbO3 electro-optic crystal. Changes in the distribution according to the frequency were observed. The experimental results obtained using this system were compared with simulation results obtained using a finite-difference time-domain method. The overall results indicated that the measurement system is capable of accurately measuring electric near-fields. We also discuss the invasiveness of the measurement system, due to the electro-optic crystals, in terms of both the experimental and simulated results.

Electromagnetic field probes inevitably disturb the original distribution of the field when they are positioned close to a device. This disturbance in turn affects measurement accuracy and device operation. We developed an optical magnetic field probe, comprising a loop antenna element and an electro-optic crystal, for highly accurate magnetic near-field measurement in the GHz frequency range. We analyzed the invasiveness of the optical magnetic field probe quantitatively both experimentally and using finite difference time domain simulation. We found that eliminating the metal cable reduced the disturbance of the surrounding field that was to be measured. In addition, we investigated the magnetic field detection characteristics of the probe and its influence on the operation of a microstrip line. The optical magnetic field probe was less invasive and provided more accurate measurement.

The luminance of about 10,000 cd/m2 at an applied voltage of 9.2 V and the external emission efficiency 5.5 cd/A at an injection current density of 50 mA/cm2 have been obtained from an organic light emitting diode (OLED) using starburst molecule doped with 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene fabricated by wet-processing. We demonstrate that the OLEDs fabricated by wet-processing can be applied to fields of short range optical communication as the electro-optical conversion device for transmitting the signals of moving picture.

This paper presents a new type of optical probe designed to detect magnetic near-fields with high accuracy in the gigahertz range. Its probe head consists of a loop antenna element doubly loaded with LiNbO3 electro-optic crystals. Through an optical technique, it can work as a conventional double-loaded loop probe without metallic cables or an electrical hybrid junction. We examined probe characteristics for magnetic field detection up to 20 GHz. We confirmed that the probe can measure magnetic fields near a microstrip line in the gigahertz range and can suppress influence of electric fields.

We propose a simple and novel technique for mapping vector spatial fields using electro-optic (EO) sampling. Our technique utilizes a sandwich-like EO crystal in which a dielectric mirror is inserted into the EO crystal. Three-dimensional field measurements at several given heights above a two-dimensional RF resonant structure were successfully demonstrated. Field scanning at any height is possible if the sandwich-like EO crystal is appropriately constructed.

We propose a simple method for the chromatic dispersion measurement of optical fibers by using bi-directional modulation of a Mach-Zehnder electro-optical modulator embodied in a fiber loop mirror. The detected output of the bi-directionally modulated light, with time difference, creates fading in the RF domain. Dispersion is found by measuring the period of fading at different wavelengths.

To perform a high-speed measurement of a two-dimensional electric-field distribution, we developed an electric-field scanning system using a large-aperture electro-optic crystal and a laser-beam scanner. In the system, a two-dimensional electric-field image projected onto the crystal is read off using beam scanning through an electro-optic effect. With the imaging system, only 20 to 40 seconds are needed to obtain both millimeter-wave amplitude and phase images of a 20 30 mm area with a pixel spacing of 0.5 mm. We measured radiation patterns of a 10-GHz dipole antenna and compared them with simulation results to investigate a disturbance of the patterns inside the crystal. Profiles of a 120-GHz millimeter-wave beam were also measured to determine the effects of a dielectric lens used to focus the beam. Furthermore, we applied the system to imaging several objects with 180-GHz millimeter waves and experimentally showed that it is a valid means for a non-destructive inspection of hidden objects.

We present a new method called the slope nucleation method (SNM) for the growth of high-quality organic 4-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate (DAST) crystals. The SNM features the ability to control the nucleation position and the growth orientation of DAST crystals in spontaneous nucleated growth. X-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve measurements indicate that the SNM is effective for obtaining high-quality DAST crystals as compared to conventional spontaneous nucleation methods. We evaluated the electro-optic (EO) properties of DAST crystals by an external EO probing technique because DAST crystals are expected to be used in transverse-field probing. DAST crystals exhibits nearly five-times EO sensitivity enhancement as compared to inorganic KTiOPO4 (KTP) crystals at 90 kHz. The larger EO signal power obtained from the DAST crystal was almost constant at low frequencies (30 Hz to 90 kHz), whereas the KTP crystal could not respond below 180 Hz. We also observed excellent signals at all measured points due to the improved crystallinity of the crystal grown by the SNM.

This review paper addresses an emerging aspect of the relationship between optics and microwave electronics: the application of short pulses of laser light to the sensing and measurement of continuous-wave microwave fields. In particular, very short duration optical pulses can take on the role of ultrafast sampling gates within the framework of the electro-optic sampling technique in order to realize unprecedented temporal resolution, measurement bandwidth, and probing flexibility. As a result, in numerous instances electro-optic sampling has been demonstrated, primarily within the research laboratory, to be an effective tool in the field of diagnostic testing and the determination of the electrical characteristics of microwave components. Recently, with the emergence of new applications such as microwave electric-field mapping in wireless and radar environments, and as the ultrafast time domain has gained in importance for the area of optical telecommunications, added attention has been directed to electro-optic sampling. Herein, an abbreviated historical perspective of the history of electro-optic field mapping is presented, along with the fundamental concepts that are utilized in the technique. The effectiveness of an optical-fiber-mounted electro-optic probe in a scanning electric-field-mapping system is highlighted in several diagnostic measurements on microwave and millimeter-wave antenna arrays, and a combined electric-field and thermal-imaging capability is also introduced.

12 on/off power splitters at λ=0.63µm have been produced in LiNbO3 substrates using strain-induced channel waveguides formed by magnetron deposition of surface metal films and lift-off technology. The static strain resulting from thermal expansion mismatch between the substrate and the metal films induces a localized increase in the refractive index via the strain-optic effect. On/off voltage of about 25V has been demonstrated.

By using electro-optic sampling technique, the electric field distribution on a resonant electrode for optical modulation was measured with a resolution in the micrometer range, while the range of measurement area was a few millimeters. The electric field on the asymmetric resonant electrode is enhanced by series and parallel resonance at the electrode. The resonance frequency was shifted by the presence of the electro-optic crystal, which was placed on the electrode for use in the sampling technique. We also showed that the measured electric field distribution at the edges of the electrode was different from the results numerically obtained by an equivalent circuit model.

The optical pulses of 50 MHz has been obtained from an organic light emitting diode (OLED) based on the Alq3 emissive layer with the active area of 0.01 mm2. We demonstrate that the OLEDs can be applied to fields of optical communication as the electro-optical conversion device for transmitting the signals of moving picture.

An electric filed sensor using Mach-Zehnder interferometers has been designed to operate more than 10 GHz. The velocity of optical wave on the waveguide is investigated to determine the electrode length, and the characteristics of frequency response are analyzed using the moment method to determine the sensor element length. The electrode length of 1 mm and the element length of 8 mm are settled by these investigations. An isotropic electric field sensor is constructed using three sensors. The minimum detectable electric field strength is 22 mV/m at frequency bandwidth of 100 Hz. This is about 100 times for the conventional electric field sensor using the similar element. The sensitivity deviation is within 3 dB when temperature changes from 0 degree to 40 degree. The deviation of directivity can be tuned within 1 dB to calibrate the sensitivity of the each element. The sensitivity degradation is within 6 dB up to 5 GHz and within 10 dB up to 10 GHz. This is almost agree with the calculated results. The sensor can measure almost the same waveform as the applied electric field pulse whose width is 6 ns and rise time is less than 2.5 ns.

The design method for sensitivity and frequency response of an electric field sensor using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (an optical E-field sensor) has been developed in order to measure electromagnetic environments and the performance of measuring facilities. The designs of the optical modulator, sensor elements, and sensitivity were analyzed theoretically by using an accurate equivalent circuit of the sensor. Then an actual sensor was fabricated, and its characteristics of the sensor were evaluated experimentally. The results show that the designed sensitivity and frequency response were optimal. The optical output deviation when the temperature increased from 0 to 40 was reduced to within 2 dB. The minimum detectable electric field strength was 17 dBµV/m (8 µV/m), and the dynamic range was more than 100 dB. The frequency response of the sensitivity was almost flat between 200 Hz and 900 MHz.

A novel electrical gating circuit is proposed for ultrafast applications in electronics. The circuit employs a two-conductor coupled line, and does not have any active devices such as transistors or diodes. Hence, the ultimate speed of the circuit is limited only by the cutoff frequency of the lines employed. The authors describe the circuit theory and discuss the results of experiments that involved ultrafast measurement using electro-optic sampling techniques. The latter suggests the potential of the circuit to achieve the gatings of at least 80-Gbit/s.

This paper presents a novel full-band optoelectronic system extending the capabilities of vector network measurements to the millimeter-wave regime both in small and large signal analysis. The design of the measurement system is made with an emphasis on its practicability for real-world applications using all 1.55-µm-wavelength-based photonic technology. We demonstrate the performance of this network analyzer by measuring the 2-port S-parameters of a HEMT device. The accuracy of the results is also shown by comparing them with conventional 50-GHz electronic measurements. The transit frequency of the active device of over 100 GHz is directly measured for the first time to our knowledge.

A two-waveguide tapered velocity coupler is presented for a variable divider of optical beams. The coupler consists of one tapered slab waveguide in dimension and the other slab waveguide with a constant film thickness. It is assumed that the device is fabricated on a LiNbO3 substrate, with a push/pull external electric field parallel with the optic axis applied only in the film regions of the coupler. Various numerical simulations through the finite difference beam propagation analysis show that a wide range of dividing ratios from - 15 dB to 15 dB or more can be achieved with considerably small values of driving-voltage electrode-length product and that the dividing characteristics are stable over a wide range of frequencies.

With increases in the speed of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits, the importance of internal testing with sufficient temporal resolution has been growing. This paper describes recently established electro-optic testing technologies based on pulse lasers and electro-optic crystal probes. Practicability, limitation and future issues are discussed.

While Electro-Optic (E-O) sampling has achived the electric signal measurement with advantages of noninvasive, noncontact and ultrafast time resolution, it is unsuitable for measuring long logic patterns in fast ICs under the functional test conditions. To overcome this problem, a real time E-O probing using a continuous wave (CW) diode laser and a fast photodetector has been developed. By adopting a ZnTe E-O probe having a half-wave voltage of 3.6 kV, shot noise limited measurement with a frequency bandwidth of 480 MHz has been achieved using a low noise diode laser (wavelength of 780 nm, output power of 30 mW), a pin photodiode, a wideband low noise amplifier, and a digital oscilloscope having 500 MHz bandwidth as a waveform analyzer. The minimum detectable voltage was 23 mV under 700 times integration. In this paper, discussion of the voltage sensitivity of real time E-O probing is included. Key parameters for attaining the highly sensitive real time E-O probing are the sensitivity of the E-O probe and noises of the probing light and detection system.