Abstract
We present the characterization of a silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator with electrical packaging and show that it exhibits a large third-order intermodulation spurious-free dynamic range (> 100 dB Hz2/3). This characteristic renders the modulator particularly suitable for the generation of high spectral efficiency discrete multi-tone signals and we experimentally demonstrate a single-channel, direct detection transmission system operating at 49.6 Gb/s, exhibiting a baseband spectral efficiency of 5 b/s/Hz. Successful transmission is demonstrated over various lengths of single mode fibre up to 40 km, without the need of any amplification or dispersion compensation.
Highlights
The amount of data exchanged over the internet has been growing continuously over the last 20 years, posing new challenges to the global network infrastructure
We show the E-O response of the packaged Mach-Zehnder intensity modulator (MZM) device in Fig. 4(a), noting that only a slight mismatch is present between the 3-dB E-O bandwidth (4.33 GHz) and the -6.4 dB electrical bandwidth (4.45 GHz), suggesting that, in this case, the main limiting factor was the electrical packaging frequency response
In order to give context to our results, we report some baseband spectral efficiency (SE) values for Intensity Modulated (IM)-DD systems already presented in the literature in Tab. 4, and compare them to the results achieved in this work
Summary
The amount of data exchanged over the internet has been growing continuously over the last 20 years, posing new challenges to the global network infrastructure. Direct-detection (DD), unrepeatered and uncompensated transmission is highly desirable in such environments In this context, advanced modulation formats have shown a great potential as they allow connections with extremely high spectral efficiencies [17], which in turn relax the electrical and optical bandwidth requirements and cost. We discuss the design and characterization of an electrically-packaged silicon Mach-Zehnder intensity modulator (MZM) that shows a highly linear response We use this device to demonstrate a 40 km-long DD-DMT link, operating at 49.6 Gb/s, exhibiting an unprecedented baseband spectral efficiency of 5 b/s/Hz, with no need for any amplification or chromatic dispersion compensation. The optical mode distribution was calculated using a Matlab based solver These results where combined, making use of Eq 2 to obtain the effective refractive index difference, as a function of the applied voltage. We identified the third configuration (high-doping level) as the most suitable for our targeted application
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
