Biasing and transfer characteristic of

Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM)

 Dual-Drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator

Fig. 2.3. Dual-drive Mach-Zehnder structure. Fig. 2.4. Mach-Zehnder modulator transfer characteristics.
(Wiberg, 2008).

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 Dual-Drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator..
Cont…
 DD-MZM Biased at Quadrature Point (Q P)

 DD-MZM biased at minimum transmission point (MITP)

3
 Dual-Drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator..
Cont…
 DD-MZM biased at maximum transmission point (MATP)

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Fig. 2.5. Simulation experiment set up for external modulation using LiNbO3 DD-MZM.
 Dual-Drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator..
Cont…

Fig. 2.6. External modulation output spectrum (with all the sidebands). Fig. 2.7. External modulation output spectrum (odd order sidebands).

Fig. 2.8. External modulation output spectrum (even order sidebands). 5

 DD-MZM Biased at Quadrature Point (Q P)
The output optical field of the modulated signal at the MZM modulator can be
written as (Xue et al., 2014)

 
E(t)  E0 exp(j0 t) exp  j1 cos  RF t   j0   exp  j2 cos  RF t    (1)

where β1 and β2 are phase modulation indices in the two arms, ωRF is the angular frequency
of the electrical RF signal, φ = π is phase difference between two arms of MZM modulator,
ϕ0 = π /2 is an additional phase difference introduced between the optical signal of the two
arms by applying suitable dc bias. From the Jacobi-Angular expansion, the output electric
field of MZM, and Eq. (1) can be rewritten as

 J n  RF  exp  j  0  nRF  t  j0  

E outLO (t)   E 0 j n

n   J n  RF  exp  j  0  nRF  t  jn  (2)
 J n  RF  exp  j0  
  E 0 j exp  j  0  nRF  t  
n

n   n  RF 
 J  exp  
jn 

where Jn(β) is the nth order of the Bessel function of the first kind and
V
is the RF modulation index, VRF is the input RF signal amplitude, and VBias1
 DC
0   2 
For n=0 VDC VDC 2

EoutLO (t)  E0 [J 0 (RF )e j0  J 0 (RF )]e j0 t (3)

6
 
j  
EoutRF (t )  E0 J 0 (  )(e 2
 1)e j0t  E0 J 0 (  )(cos  j sin  1)e j0t (4)
2 2
EoutRF (t )  E0 J 0 (  )(0  j  1)e j0t
(5)
EoutRF (t )  jE0 J 0 (  )e j0t  E0 J 0 (  )e j0t  E0 J 0 (  )(cos 0t  j sin 0t )
i. e. at ϕ0 = π/2, means at Quadrature Point of biasing of MZM carrier is present. Equation (2) can be
simplified for n=1 i.e. for first order sidebands as
[j(0 t RF t)]
E (t )  E j[ J (  ) e j 0
 J (  ) e j
]e
outRF 1 0 1 1
Again putting ϕ0 = π/2 and ϕ = π
  
j j j
 E0 e 2
[ J1 (  ) e 2
 J1 (  )e j ]e[j(0 t RF t)]  E0 jJ1 (  )[e 2
 e j ]e[j(0 t RF t)] (6)

 
 E0 jJ1 (  )[cos  j sin  c os   j sin  ]e[j(0 t RF t)]
2 2
 E0 jJ1 (  )[0  j  1  0]e[j(0 t RF t)]   E0 J1 (  )e[j(0 t RF t)]  jE0 J1 (  )e[j(0 t RF t)]

E (t )     E0 J1 (  )[cos(0 t  RF t)  j sin(0 t  RF t)] (7)

outRF 1
Similarly,

E (t )   E0 J1 (  )[cos(0 t  RF t)  jsin(0 t  RF t)] (8)

outRF 1
7
 For n= 2
[j(0 t  2RF t)]
E (t )  E j 2
[ J (  ) e j 0
 J (  ) e j 2
]e
outRF 2 0 2 2

  (9)
j j
[j(0 t  2RF t)] [j(0 t  2RF t)]
  E0 [ J 2 (  )e 2
 J 2 (  )e j 2
]e   E0 J 2 (  )[e 2
e j 2
]e
 
  E0 J 2 (  )[cos  j sin  c os 2  j sin 2 ]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]
2 2
  E0 J 2 (  )[0  j  1  0]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]   jE0 J1 (  )e[j(0 t  2RF t)]  E0 J1 (  )e[j(0 t  2RF t)]

E (t )   E0 J 2 (  )[cos(0 t  2RF t)  jsin(0 t  2RF t)]

outRF 2 (10)

E (t )   E0 J1 (  )[cos(0 t  2RF t)  jsin(0 t  2RF t)] (11)

outRF 1
-2 component, not -1
 DD-MZM biased at minimum transmission point (MITP)
The output optical field of the modulated signal at the MZM modulator can be
written as (Xue et al., 2014)

 
E(t)  E0 exp(j0 t) exp  j1 cos  RF t   j0   exp  j2 cos  RF t    (13)

where β1 and β2 are phase modulation indices in the two arms, ωRF is the angular frequency
of the electrical RF signal, φ = π is phase difference between two arms of MZM modulator, ϕ0
is an additional phase difference introduced between the optical signal of the two arms by
applying suitable dc bias. From the Jacobi-Angular expansion, the output electric field of
MZM, and Eq. (1) can be rewritten as

 J n  RF  exp  j  0  nRF  t  j0  

E outLO (t)   E 0 j n

n   J n  RF  exp  j  0  nRF  t  jn  (14)
 J n  RF  exp  j0  
  E 0 j exp  j  0  nRF  t  
n

n   n  RF 
 J  exp  
jn 
vRF
1  2  RF 
where Jn(β) is the nth
order of the Bessel function of the first kind and VDC
is the RF modulation index, VRF is the input RF signal amplitude, and VBias1 VDC
0   
VDC VDC
For n=0
EoutLO (t)  E0 [J 0 (RF )e j0  J 0 (RF )]e j0 t (15)
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 EoutRF (t )  E0 J 0 ( )(e j  1)e j0t  E0 J 0 (  )(cos   j sin   1)e j0t (16)

EoutRF (t )  E0 J 0 (  )(1  0  1)e j0t  0 (17)

i. e. at ϕ0 = π, means at minimum transmission point of biasing of MZM carrier is suppressed. Equation (2)
can be simplified for n=1 i.e. for first order sidebands as

[j(0 t RF t)]

E (t )  E j[ J (  ) e j 0
 J (  ) e j
]e
outRF 1 0 1 1
(18)

j
 E0 e 2
[ J1 (  )e j0  J1 (  )e j ]e[j(0 t RF t)]

Again putting ϕ0 = π and ϕ = π

E (t )   E0 J1 (  ) j[cos(0 t  RF t)  jsin(0 t)RF t)]
outRF 1 (19)
 E0 J1 (  )[ jcos(0 t  RF t)  sin(0 t  RF t)]
Similarly,
E (t )   E0 J1 (  ) j[cos(0 t  RF t)  jsin(0 t  RF t)]
outRF 1 (20)
 E0 J1 (  )[ jcos(0 t  RF t)  sin(0 t  RF t)]

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Hence,
E (t)  E 0 J1  RF  
cos  0  RF  t  cos  0  RF  t 
 (21)
outRF
Where βRF = πvRF/VπRF is the RF modulation index, VRF is the input RF signal amplitude, and tff is the insertion loss
of integrated DP-DDMZM modulator.

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for n=2

i. e. at ϕ0 = π, means at minimum transmission point of biasing of MZM carrier is suppressed. Equation (2)
can be simplified for n=2 i.e. for second order sidebands as
[j(0 t  2RF t)]
E (t )  E j 2
[ J (  ) e j0
 J (  ) e j 2
]e
outRF 2 0 2 2

  E0 [ J 2 (  )e j0  J1 (  )e j 2  ]e[j(0 t  2RF t)] (22)

Again putting ϕ0 = π and ϕ = π

[j(0 t  2RF t)]
E (t )  E j 2
[ J (  ) e j 0
 J (  ) e j 2
]e
outRF 2 0 2 2

  E0 [ J 2 (  )e j  J 2 (  )e j 2 ]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]   E0 J 2 (  )[e j  e j 2 ]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]

(23)
  E0 J 2 (  )[cos   j sin   c os 2  j sin 2 ]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]
  E0 J 2 (  )[1  0  1  0]e[j(0 t  2RF t)]  0

Hence only odd sidebands will be available

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