Memorias de investigación
Communications at congresses:
Optimization and Evaluation in Space Conditions of Multi-GHz Optical Modulators
Year:2014
Research Areas
  • Electronic technology and of the communications
Information
Abstract
Among the different optical modulator technologies available such as polymer, III-V semiconductors, Silicon, the well-known Lithium Niobate (LN) offers the best trade-off in terms of performances, ease of use, and power handling capability [1-9]. The LN technology is still widely deployed within the current high data rate fibre optic communications networks. This technology is also the most mature and guarantees the reliability which is required for space applications [9].In or der to fulfil the target specifications of opto-microwave payloads, an optimization of the design of a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator working at the 1500nm telecom wavelength was performed in the frame of the ESA-ARTES "Multi GigaHertz Optical Modulator" (MGOM) project in order to reach ultra-low optical insertion loss and low effective driving voltage in the Ka band. The selected modulator configuration was the X-cut crystal orientation, associated to high stability Titanium in-diffusion process for the optical waveguide. Starting from an initial modulator configuration exhibiting 9 V drive voltage @ 30 GHz, a complete redesign of the coplanar microwave electrodes was carried out in order to reach a 6 V drive voltage @ 30GHz version. This redesign was associated to an optimization of the interaction between the optical waveguide and the electrodes. Following the optimisation steps, an evaluation program was applied on a lot of 8 identical modulators. A full characterisation was carried out to compare performances, showing small variations between the initial and final functional characteristics. In parallel, two similar modulators were submitted to both gamma (10-100 krad) and proton irradiation (10.109 p/cm²) with minor performance degradation.
International
Si
Congress
International Conference on Space Optics ICSO 2014
960
Place
Tenerife, Spain
Reviewers
Si
ISBN/ISSN
0000-0000
online proceedings http://www.icsoproceedings.org/
Start Date
07/10/2014
End Date
10/10/2014
From page
1
To page
7
International Conference on Space Optics ICSO 2014 Online Proceedings http://www.icsoproceedings.org/
Participants
  • Autor: Henri Porte Photline Technologies
  • Autor: Arnaud Le Kernec Thales Alenia Space
  • Autor: Laura Peñate Quesada Alter Technology TÜV NORD S.A.U.
  • Autor: Ignacio Esquivias Moscardo UPM
  • Autor: Houda Brahimi Photline Technologies
  • Autor: Juan Barbero Gonzalez Alter Technology TÜV NORD S.A.U.
  • Autor: Alexandre Mottet Photline Technologies
  • Autor: Michel Sotom Thales Alenia Space
Research Group, Departaments and Institutes related
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Grupo de Fotónica Aplicada
  • Departamento: Tecnología Fotónica y Bioingeniería
  • Centro o Instituto I+D+i: Centro de Materiales y Dispositivos Avanzados para Tecnologías de Información y Comunicaciones