University of Southampton Modulator Lab: Optical Loss, Efficiency, Data Transmission
Photonics Integrated Circuits Video demonstration - modulator on-chip
This post today from Photonics Precision Technologies - Precision with Light is rewinding a Video demonstration of a PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) which is a optical modulator at CORNERTONE, a spin-out photonics silicon photonics foundry start-up from the University of Southampton. These silicon photonics chips find applications ranging from telecoms to sensing, LiDAR, quantum photonics up to hyperscalers datacenters co-packaged optics new transcievers. The demo features Professor David Thomson detailing the how to of the installation and procedures for the test for optical loss, DC efficiency, and data transmission rate in these modulators. Below is the Video and a summarization descritpion worth a read of the main bullet points.
CORNERSTONE Modulator Lab Demo
Key Insights:
The testing lab at the University of Southampton is characterizing optical loss, DC efficiency, and data transmission rate for modulators.
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The use of free access stages with more travel for mounting electrical probes provides flexibility in positioning the probe head to coincide with the position of pads on the photonic chip, enhancing the precision of the modulator lab demo.
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The high-speed carrier depletion modulator requires specific electrical connections and termination to prevent rf reflections, highlighting the complexity of testing and using this technology.
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The use of a normalization waveguide with the same coupling device and length as the access waveguide allows for accurate characterization of losses outside of the device.
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Changing the phase in one of the arms of the max Zender results in a shift of the spectral response, allowing for measurement of the dc phase modulation efficiency of the device.
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The demonstration of the shift in response at different voltages provides a visual representation of the impact of voltage on the transmission and absorption in the waveguide.
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Operating at higher data rates, such as 28 gigabit per second, can have significant effects on the optical eye diagram and data transmission.
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The demonstration showcases the potential for measuring speeds up to 64 gigabits per second, with the capability to go even higher with additional equipment.