201O Interational Conference on Networking and Information Technolog

Frequency Chirp Characteristics on WDM External Modulation

Zaiton Binti Abdul Mutalip
Faculty of Electronics and Computer Engineering
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
Malacca, Malaysia
zaiton@utem.edu.my
Abstract - The paper studies the efect of frequency
chirping and the Extension Ratio (ER) on the
performance of optical communication system. The
characteristics are obtained from the simulation using
OptiSystem 7.0 on the externally modulated
experimental setup. The parameter known as alpha
factor (a) is used to characterize the chirp behavior and
the efects of ER on Bit Error Rate (BER. This studies
proved that the frequency chirping can be reduce by
controlling the a factor and the ER where the amount of
chirp can be eliminated by controlling the symmetry
factor k.
Kords- chir, eernal modulaton
I. INTRODUCTION
Optical fber communication provides tremendously high
transmission capacit needed aligned with the development
of FTTH which moving directly to the user. This need has
leaded the research of transmitting high capacit of
information in a longer distance. Since the use of direct
modulation is only suitable for shorter range and results in
unwanted efects such as broadening the spectral width, then
an alterative modulation technique is being investigated.
I optical communication system, the modulation
operation is the key fnctionalit, where it converts the high
bit rate electrical data signals into an optical carrier
fequency. Thus, light modulation is one of the main issues
in providing larger bandwidth over longer distance
transmission. Optical modulation is referred as the process
of adding information to an optical signal carrier, which is
transmitted by an optical source [1][2].
Difers fom direct modulation, the light source in
exteral modulation is tured on constantly and a separate
exteral modulator is used afer the light source. It is an
advantage in order to minimize the unwanted efects,
especially the chirp. A exteral modulation can be
implemented in two ways, either an acousto-optical or
electro-optical.
The Acousto-optical modulator is the tpe of modulator
which is based on the concept that sound waves interact with
waves within a dielectric medium. When acoustic waves
enter the dielectric medium, mechanical distortion is inserted
and thus makes the medium refactive index changed. A
changed of refactive index in the medium afect the phase of
978-1-4244-7578-0/$26.00 2010 IEEE 214
the optical waves. There are two tpes of acousto-optic
modulator, Raman-Nath modulators and Bragg modulator.
This two modulator works based on the same principle but
diferent in the length of acousto-optical wave interaction.
[ 5 ][4]
A electro-optical modulator works based on the
principle that a medium refactive index will changed if an
exeral electric feld is applied. The normally used material
as a substrate is LiNb03 as it has very high electro-optic
coefcient and low optical loss. The refactive index in this
material causes light to travel at the speed inversely
proportional to te material refactive index. Thus, the
refactive index of the material can be controlled to slower
the light tavel through it and vice-versa.
The most important and popular modulator in this
categor is the Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator. This is the
planar waveguide structure deposited on the substrate, as in
Figure 1. It consists of two optical couplers, one each at
input and output of the device, which are connected together
via two waveguides. Light travels with diferent delays in
these waveguides. The delay of the upper waveguides is
being controlled by a voltage, and so the output power. This
is the consequences of the difference in the length of the
distance light travels between the two waveguides,
corresponds to a phase shif. All the power of light goes to
output 1 if the phase shif is 0 or 2mn (m = integer), other
than that will go to output 2. I contrast, if the phase shif is
n, all the light power goes to output 2, and none at output 1.
Generally, M modulator can control the phase shif better
than all other implementation and so they have better ER. [ 5 ]
v=o v=+v
Figure 1. Mach-Zenhder modulator [5]
2010 International Conference on Netorking and Information Technolog
Similar to direct modulation, mmodulators also sufers
chirping, where the chirp-like spectral broadening

cc

rs n
an exteral modulation technique. The fequency chIrpmg 10
exteral modulated link categorized in four tpes; the loss
modulator, directional coupler tpe modulator,
.
Mach
Zehnder interferometer modulator ad total mteral
refection tpe modulator. The fequency chirping in each of
this modulator tpe can be expressed by a parameter known
as alpha factor (a). The parameter is used to characterize the
chirp behavior using the parameter symmetr factor, k as the
following equation (1)
k
= a-I- sign(a)
a+ 1- sign(a)
(1)
Typical values of k may vary fom -1 (m

duation
without any chirp) to 1 (:1 actually). The followmg IS the
meaning of k in special cases: [1][6]
k = -1 means that the MZ modulator modulates the
intensit of the light wave with zero chirp.
k = 0 means that the MZ modulator modulates the
intensit of the light wave but a considerable
amount of chirp is present.
k 2 1 means that the mmodulator modulates the phase
of the light wave and not its intensit.
Normally, the appearance of chirp in directly modulaed
link normally is eliminated by using the exteral modulatIOn
with mmodulator. Therefore these modulation categories
were well investigated in order for better understanding the
efect of chirp on the optical communication link. The
evaluations were based on the simulation experiment using
OptiSystem simulation sofare.
II. OBJECTIVES
I this paper, a simulation approach is used to d

te

mi

e
the channel capacit in the presence of fequency chIrpmg 10
WDM exteral modulation system. The objective of this
experiment is to distinguish the efect of varing alpha (a)
factor on the optical signal chirp. The efects of the
modulator ER on BER were also being monitored.
III. SIMULATION
A. Simulation Set up
The simulation setup is based on Fig. 3, performed with
Optiwave simulation sofware. In this setup radio fequency
input of a mmodulator were connected to the PRS, m
pulse generator and low pass flter modules. A laser is also
applied to the other input of the MZ modulator. BR
performance is measured using a variable attenuator .
.
WhIe
the power of the optical signal at input to the receIver IS
measured by using an optical power meter. Data recover
module is used to observe the eye diagram and BER for the
various chirp and ER values.
215
........................... ::::.:.: ... ::.::.::.:.::::: .. :::.: .. :::::.::::.:::::::::.::.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ' :
Dala
Recovery
f
1- 0. ---j'' .
`.enCY=1552.52nm Mach-Zehnder
Attenualor
_ OPlia
'
Receiver
Power=O dBm Modulalor:
Allenua"18dB
Culof frequency=0.75Bil rale Hz
Oplical Power Meier Visualizer

Optical Time Domain Visualizer

Figure 2. Exteral modulation setup
B. Experimental
The initial condition for the simulation is set to ER = 30
dB and the symmetr factor, k is set to -1 corresponding to
an alpha factor,a of -1. Then, the simulation were run and
maximum chirp measured were recorded in TABLE I.
The procedures were repeated by changing the symmetric
facor, which can be obtained by changing the alpha factor 1
and 0.5 in equation (1).
For investigating te ER measurement, the same setup is
used and the symmetr factor is reset to -1 and ER to 30 dB.
Then simulation is run by changing the ER value to 30, 20,
10 and 5 d. The data measured were recorded in TABLE
II. From the results obtained, a semi-logarithmic graph was
produced as in Figure 4.
IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The results for the simulation are as discussed as follows:
A. Chirp Measurement
TABLEr EXTERNAL MODULA nON CHIRP MEASUREMNT
Bit Rate = 2.5 Gbis
ER=30 dB
a k Chirp (Hz) BER
-1 -1 1.6 m 4.458* 1 0-
11
0 0 5.3 G 4.458* 1 0-
11
0.5 -0.333333 2.6 G 4.458* 1 0-
11
From Table I, it can be concluded that when k = -1, the
amount of chirp is ver small. This is an ideal intensit
modulation with small amount of chirp. Symmetr factor
zero (k = 0) shows highest chirp were measured. This re

ult
in intensit modulation with chirp as only one arm was bemg
driven by the input signal. Thus, the amount of chirp can be
reduced by decreasing the value of k value (smaller k, less
chirp). In addition, knowing the varing a is important as its
interaction with chromatic dispersion will limits the
transmission distance without regenerating the signal.
2010 Interational Conference on Networking and Information Technolog
a =-1
a=O
a=0.5
Figure 3. Eye diagram for different a factor
B. ER Measurement
From te results in Table II and the semi-logarithmic
graph plotted as in Fig 4, ER is proportionally increases as
BER increased. The fgure gives visual representation of the
efects of ER on the qualit of the link. The graph clearly
shows that the BER rises each time ER increases.
Furthermore, only small changes in ER are required to
relatively make large diferences in the power in order to
maintain a constant bit error rate (BER).
TABLE II. ER MASUREMENT
ER(dB)
30
20
10
5
Bit Rate = 2.5 Gbits
k=-l
BER
4.458 x 10.
11
1.506 X 10-
1
0
1.476 X 10.7
6.120 X 10-4
V. CONCLUSION
The completion of the simulation experiment enables
detail investigation on the infuence of chirp in WM
exteral modulation. Based on the result, the amount of
chirp in exteral modulation can be reduced by varing the
value of a. The chir is practically zero as symmetr factor
k is set to -1. I contrast, the chirp is much higher when the
a factor is set to 1. I brief smaller k will results in less
chirp.
216
ER (dB) agains BER Grol)"
ExtincUon Ratio, ER (d8)
10 15 20 25 30 35
1.00E02
1.00E03
1.00E-04
1.00E-OS
f
1.00E-06
.
1.00E-07
1.00E-08
1.00E-09
1.00E-10
1.0DE-11
Figure 4. Graph ER against BER
Besides, ER was also an important parameter in relation
to exteral modulation characteristics. The studies specif
that ER is proportionally increases as BER increased.
This concludes tat the a parameter is an important
parameter to express the performance of an exteral
modulated link. As ER is proportionally increases as BER
increased, therefore only small changes in ER are required to
relatively make large diferences in the power in order to
maintain a constant bit error rate (BER). As a result, lowest
chirp were created by using MZ modulator and thus
increased the transmission performance of optical
communication link.
ACKNOWLEDGMNT
To ever special people at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia
Melaka (UTeM) who provided necessit, fnd and
enthusiastic assistance, thank you.
REFERENCES
[I] F.Koyama, K. Iga, "Frequency Chirping in Exteral Modulators,"
Journal ojLightwfe T echnolog, Vol 6, Jan 1988, pp.87-93.
[2] Zaiton Abdul Mutalip, "Frequency Chirp Chaacteristics on WDM
Direct Modulation," Proc. The 2nd Interational Conference on
Computer Engineering and Applications (ICCEA 2010), Mar. 2010.
[3] G. Breed, A Tutorial to Optical Modulation Techniques, May 2007,
High Frequency Electronics Magazine.
[4] R Ramaswani, K.N. Sivarajan, Optical Network: A Practical
Perspective, 2nd Edition, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, CA, USA,
2002
[5] Green, P. E. Fiber optic network. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1994.
[6] Lee Nguyen Binh, Adv Photonic Comm: Techniques and Applications
(Optical Science and Engineering, CRC Press, USA, 2008