Integrated Microwave Photonic Isolators: Theory, Experimental Realization and Application in a Unidirectional Ring Mode-Locked Laser Diode

Photonics

Martijn J.R. Heck¹  Sudharsanan Srinivasan²  Michael L. Davenport² 

[1] Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8200, Denmark;Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara 93106-9560, CA, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: hybrid silicon platform;    microwave photonics;    mode-locked laser diodes;    optical isolators;    photonic integrated circuits;    semiconductor optical amplifiers;    silicon photonics;   

DOI  :  10.3390/photonics2030957

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A novel integrated microwave photonic isolator is presented. It is based on the timed drive of a pair of optical modulators, which transmit a pulsed or oscillating optical signal with low loss, when driven in phase. A signal in the reverse propagation direction will find the modulators out of phase and, hence, will experience high loss. Optical and microwave isolation ratios were simulated to be in the range up to 10 dB and 20 dB, respectively, using parameters representative for the indium phosphide platform. The experimental realization of this device in the hybrid silicon platform showed microwave isolation in the 9 dB–22 dB range. Furthermore, we present a design study on the use of these isolators inside a ring mode-locked laser cavity. Simulations show that unidirectional operation can be achieved, with a 30–50-dB suppression of the counter propagating mode, at limited driving voltages. The potentially low noise and feedback-insensitive operation of such a laser makes it a very promising candidate for use as on-chip microwave or comb generators.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.