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A 5 × 25-Gbaud wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) employing probabilistic shaping 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PS-PAM4) with direct detection is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Each optical carrier at the optical line terminal (OLT) carries a 25-Gbaud PS-PAM4 signal based on Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. By employing PS-PAM4, the receiver power sensitivity (RPS) and fiber nonlinear effect tolerance of the system can be significantly improved and enhanced compared with the unshaped one, which can provide abundant system loss budget for the legacy optical distribution networks. The experimental results show that, compared with the WDM-PON employing uniform PAM4, the superior RPS of 1.44 dB and the fiber nonlinear effect tolerance improvement of 3.07 dB over 20-km standard single-mode fiber transmission are obtained for the proposed system. In addition, the system performance by introducing a blind adaptive pre-equalization based on the joint applications of constant modulus algorithm and decision-directed least-mean-square error algorithm, which can accurately compensate for the signal high-frequency loss caused by the electro-optical components, such as digital-to-analog converter, optical modulators, and electrical drivers at the OLT, is also experimentally investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waveguide bends are essential structures for designing an integrated optical waveguide modulator (IOWM). However, reducing bending loss for strip and slot waveguide bends and obtaining a small increment of footprint size by bending the radius are challenging issues. We aim to evaluate whether using strip waveguides with an adiabatic bend reduces the bending loss and to obtain a specific length suitable for a V-shaped mode converter with a small increment of footprint size in the IOWM. Furthermore, a new 180-deg-bend structure for slot waveguides, to reduce bending loss, is investigated. The results of reducing bending radius (R) with a large coverage angle (ac) for strip waveguide bends revealed a low bending loss and simultaneously a reduction of the footprint size in the IOWM. For the 180-deg slot waveguide bend, both the bending and coupling losses were reduced by optimizing the taper and distance offset, which enhanced transmission power efficiency. We validated the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed bending strip and slot structures in IOWM, which is important for integrated optical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the advantages of nonlinear optics of a cascaded intensity modulator (IM) and phase modulator (PM) to generate an initial optical frequency comb. The results show that when the direct current bias to amplitude ratio, α = 0.1, and the IM and PM have the same modulation index and are equal 10, seed comb is achieved; it is generated by the modulation of two continuous wave lasers. Hence, based on these parameters, an intense four-wave mixing is created through 9 m of photonic crystal fiber. Moreover, a broadband spectrum was achieved, spaced by a 30-GHz microwave frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with previous graphene-based optical modulators that can be tuned electrically with the Fermi level, all-optical modulators have attracted much attention due to their ultrafast and broadband response (bandwidth ≈ 200 GHz). To take advantage of hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWs) and the nonlinear response of graphene, we proposed all-optical absorption and phase modulators at the wavelength of 1.55 μm and EF = 0.1 eV. The modulators consist of two different geometries, graphene on an HPW and graphene on a double-slot HPW. Compared with the previous graphene-based all-optical modulators, our design has a short-effective waveguide length and higher modulation depth. This was achieved through the incomparable integration of HPW optics and graphene photonics that can be used to design chip-scale, compact, and high-efficiency all-optical modulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral diffusion of photon-generated carriers is a critical factor affecting the signal stability and spatial resolution of light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) array. LAPS with meshed working electrode for rejecting lateral diffusion is presented. Simulation shows that using meshed working electrode can resist the lateral distribution. In an experiment, the inhibition of lateral distribution and the signal stability was studied. Results showed, using the meshed working electrode, the ability to reject the lateral distribution and the signal stability is obviously enhanced. Research in this paper may help to enhance spatial resolution and detection stability of LAPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multibeam, multicolor, large-angle beam-steering is demonstrated in the visible spectral region by imprinting Fresnel zone plates (FZP) on a liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Spectral dispersion, both diffractive and refractive, is observed but does not prevent the use of this technology for beam steering applications. The experimental results show that while diffractive dispersion dominates over refractive dispersion, wavelength- specific FZPs can be rendered to direct those beams on target, either simultaneously or consecutively. Only a slight correction in the FZP positon is necessary to compensate for refractive dispersion. The position, intensity, and wavelength of each beam can be controlled independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel-coupled dual racetrack silicon microresonator structures are fabricated and characterized. With an integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the full information of amplitude and phase of the structure is obtained experimentally. The spectral characteristics of the amplitude and phase are shown to be in reasonable agreement with simulation results, considering possible small structure variations in fabrication. The structure is potentially useful for developing modulators for advanced modulation formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed and analyzed a scheme of generating an optical multicarrier using a linear optical modulator- based hybrid interferometer modulator and a dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator. Fifteen-tone comb lines within 0.5-dB spectral power variation are obtained; the side-mode suppression ratio is about 35 dB; and the system is tolerant to radio-frequency phase differences. Some analysis on the noise characteristics and the impact of parameter drifting is also made. These features indicate that the proposed multicarrier generator is a good multiwavelength source for quantum key distribution wavelength division-multiplexing passive optical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanophotonics is contributing to the development of devices with small dimensions and low energy consumption. In optical systems for space applications, whether in large or small satellites, such as CubeSat, the demand for photonic devices has been a necessity, mainly in the communication subsystem, due to limitations in the conventional optical beam pointing subsystems. Silicon nanophotonics can be a solution in this case as it allows for the construction of an optical beam pointing system without moving parts, such as optical phased array antennas, in which the component responsible for the pointing functionality is the optical phase modulator. With this objective, we propose an efficient non-resonant all-optical modulator based on an Archimedean spiral waveguide topology by means of the indirect thermo-optical effect. Computational results are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated modulators are essential components for optical sensing and communication applications. However, most efforts have been focused on infrared telecommunications wavelengths, with very little consideration for visible light applications. Here, we design an electro-optic (EO) modulator at 532 nm with the waveguides formed by SU8 polymer structures on the thin-film lithium niobate (LN). The simulation results show a low loss, high modulation efficiency, and large bandwidth simultaneously for the modulator. The predicted low loss is attributed to the LN etchless waveguide and high coupling efficiency, i.e., 93%, with the single-mode fiber theoretically using a SU8 edge coupler. The simulated low voltage-length product of 1.15 V · cm and a 3-dB-bandwidth of >120 GHz at a length of 5 mm are superior to any other modulator in the optical communication band. The modeling of the modulator proposed here shows great potential for visible light communications applications such as energy-efficient and large-capacity underwater wireless optical interconnects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel aligned liquid crystal on silicon (PA-LCoS) displays have found wide acceptance in applications requiring phase-only modulation. Among LCoS devices, and PA-LCoS as a specific case, digital addressing has become a very common technology. In principle, modern digital technology provides some benefits with respect to analog addressing such as reduced interpixel cross-talk, lower power consumption and supply voltage, gray level scale repeatability, high programmability, and noise robustness. However, there are also some degradating issues, such as flicker, which may be enhanced. We analyze the characteristics of the digital pulse width modulated voltage signals in relation to their effect on the optical modulation capabilities of LCoS displays. We apply calibration techniques developed in our laboratory, basically the classical linear polarimeter extended to take into account the existence of flicker. Various digital sequence formats are discussed, focusing the analysis on the variations in the magnitude of the applied voltages across the LC layer. From this analysis, we obtain how to amplify the retardance dynamic range and how to enhance linearity in the device without enhancing flicker and without diminishing the number of available quantization levels. Electrical configurations intended for phase-only and intensity modulation regimes, useful in diffractive optics, are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of quantum cascade lasers with devices capable of efficiently manipulating terahertz light represents a fundamental step for many different applications. Split-ring resonators, subwavelength metamaterial elements exhibiting broad resonances that are easily tuned lithographically, represent the ideal route to achieve such optical control of the incident light. We have realized a design based on the interplay between metallic split rings and the electronic properties of a graphene monolayer integrated into a single device. By acting on the doping level of graphene, an active modulation of the optical intensity was achieved in the frequency range between 2.2 and 3.1 THz, with a maximum modulation depth of 18%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2.5 and 10 Gb/s InP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have been widely used in optical communication systems. However, the study on InP/InGaAs APDs above 10 Gb/s is insufficient. Recently, highspeed and high-sensitivity APDs for 100 Gb/s or even 400 Gb/s optical communication systems have drawn a lot of attention. On basis of the physical model for frequency response of APD including the dead space effect, a waveguide separate absorption, grading, charge, and multiplication (WG-SAGCM) InP/InGaAs APD has been designed for 25 Gb/s operation. Also, the frequency response of WG InAlAs/InGaAs APD was also simulated, which is perfectly in accordance with the experimental data. The comparison between InP/InGaAs APD and InAlAs/InGaAs APD with the same thickness of multiplication layer shows that the speeds of carriers in the nonionization layers are also important for the gain-bandwidth characteristics of SAGCM WG-APD. The higher drift velocity of carriers returned from multiplication layer and the lower drift velocity of carriers injected into multiplication layer result in a higher gain-bandwidth product and a higher dc gain. This work is helpful for the design of high-speed APDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of laser ultrasound for nondestructive testing of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) and carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) is shown. Laser-generated excitation creates a three-dimensional, thermoelastic zone which emits ultrasound waves during expansion and contraction. In order not to exceed the damage threshold of the material to be tested usually only a low-energy density and therefore a weak excitation of ultrasound waves can be achieved. For instance, the use of a YAG laser type with a wavelength around 1 µm leads to a very low absorption in the matrix of CFRP while the absorption in the fibers is very high. As a consequence the excitation is often destructive. To solve this problem, we describe the successful introduction of a spatial light modulator to laser ultrasound allowing for tailored spatial energy distributions for efficient nondestructive excitation of ultrasound waves within CFRP or CFRTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both radially polarized (RP) and radially polarized vortex (RPV) beams are generated by an experimental setup with one phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator which efficiently modulates the phase retardation distributions of input beam by twice reflections. The polarizing properties and double-slit interference of both RP and RPV beams are investigated in detail. Misplacement and tilt appear in double-slit interference fringes of both RP beams and RPV beams in simulations and experiments. The fringe tilt number F in the intermediate region is proportional to the topological charge I of RPV beams with the approximate relation Fs(I) = 0.8125/ in simulations and Fe(I) = 0.8182/ in experiments. The double-slit interference method can be utilized to determine and analyze the topological charge of the beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and demonstrate a wireless optical energy transmission using optical beamforming with a spatial light modulator. We demonstrate an optical beamforming technology to focus the light of an optical source on a desired target, which can be used in various applications. Our experiment shows a wireless energy transmission efficiency of 1.3% with a white light-emitting diode light source. Although the transmission efficiency is currently low in our experimental result, we expect that the transmission efficiency can be improved up to 30% with highly efficient devices. We also propose an algorithm based on the optical beamforming to detect the location of the target device automatically. The proposed wireless optical energy transmission has several advantages over the previous wireless energy transmission methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present grayscale laser image formation from a programmable binary mask using a digital micromirror device (DMD) followed by a telescope with an adjustable pinhole low-pass filter. System performance was measured by comparing the intensity conformity with respect to the target image and by the energy conversion efficiency. A theoretical analysis of image precision proved high-precision image formation and inspired the iterative pattern refinement process based on the point spread function of a single DMD pixel to seek optimized image quality. We derived the diffraction efficiency formula of the DMD and discussed the overall system energy efficiency with operation wavelengths. Actual image precision performance was evaluated by measuring the root-mean-square (RMS) error of a series of sinusoidal-flattop profiles with different system bandwidths. We produced grayscale laser images with different spatial spectral content using intensity profiles of Laguerre-Gaussian, Hermite-Gaussian, and Lena-flattop beams. Measured RMS errors of all examples of various bandwidths were consistent with the image precision of the sinusoidal reference patterns. The ripple effect caused by the sharp-edged pinhole was the major contributor to the residual error in the output images. Error histograms had a zero-mean Gaussian distribution with standard deviation equal to the value of the RMS error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an analog microwave photonic link system, which is used to transmit in a multiplexed way a TV signal over 30 km of standard optical fiber. The experimental setup is composed mainly by two distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes emitting at 1500 nm. When these DFB lasers are operated in the low laser threshold current region, relaxation oscillation frequencies are obtained. Relaxation oscillations in the laser intensity can be seen as sidebands on both sides of the main laser line. The optical emissions generated in each laser are combined and amplified by using an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Next, the amplified optical signal is detected by a fast photo-detector using direct detection method, and as result of this photo-detection, microwave signals are generated. Since microwave signals obtained by using this technique are tuned continuously; we can use them as electrical carriers to transmit simultaneously a TV signal at 4 and 5 GHz and over 30 km of standard optical fiber by using a Mach-Zehnder modulator. At the end of the optical link the modulated light is photo-detected in order to recover efficiently and successfully the analog TV signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband optical modulators, especially the LiNbO[sub 3] interferometric types, are currently important in the generation of advanced modulation formats for operating bit rate in the 100 Gb/s range for 100-Gb/s optical Ethernet networks. In these devices the effectiveness of generation of the traveling electric field for electro-optic interaction is very critical. This work presents the modeling of the tilted wall of traveling wave electrodes and their impacts on the operating bandwidth over interferometric optical waveguide structures and modulators. The effects of the tilt of thick electroplated electrodes on the device bandwidth are significant. The electro-optic overlap integral can be evaluated with tilt electrodes. Key features for optimization of the electro-optic overlap integral are studied to realize modulators of low half-wave driving voltage and fabrication of optical modulators under limited etching facility. Experimental demonstration of the effects of tilted electrodes on the performance of a Mach-Zehnder interferometric modulator is given to confirm simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a theoretical model to design a stable and tunable optical frequency comb by controlling the periodic radiofrequency signal applied to the two cascaded lithium niobate Mach–Zehnder modulators. The spectrum flatness, frequency line spacing, and spectrum bandwidth depend on the periodic optical signal's shape, periodicity, and duty cycle. So the shape and duty cycle of the optical signal are controlled by controlling the amplitude and phase of the periodic radiofrequency signal and realizing a 2.1% duty-cycled periodic signal, resulting in a 1.92-dB flat and 2.31-THz broad-spectrum optical frequency comb. The duty cycle of the optical signal is decreased by controlling the modulators in such a way that it will give the output signal for the transition period of the radiofrequency signal only. The line spacing is controlled by controlling the frequency of the radiofrequency signal and realizes a 30-GHz channel spaced frequency comb. The comb's channel spacing and frequency can also be controlled by controlling the periodicity of radiofrequency signal and seed laser frequency, making the frequency comb tunable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-dielectric waveguide modulators nowadays are critical for on-chip photonic circuit's integration. We propose and theoretically demonstrate a graphene-based all-dielectric waveguide modulator with offset nanowires. The displacement between the nanowires causes the electric field parallel to the graphene to increase, thereby realizing an enhanced field modulation effect. We obtain the best modulation performance by optimizing the structural parameters and changing the offset distance of the nanowires. Analysis of the simulation results indicate that the structure offers a high modulation depth (>0.13 dB / μm) covering the S , C, and L bands. Benefitting from the strong subwavelength confinement and excellent broadband modulation performance, the proposed optical waveguide modulators offer a significant potential to realize various long-wave integrated modulators, interconnects, and optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]