Design of an ultralinear pockels effect modulator: a successive approximation method based on Poincaré sphere...

A technique for synthesizing electro-optic light-intensity modulators with linear modulation characteristics is described. This technique is a quantitative-qualitative procedure based on the properties of the Poincaré sphere, and it can be applied for synthesizing many types of polarization devices with bulk, fiber, or integrated optics components. As an example, a three-stage monochromatic modulator showing a highly linear response is designed using this technique and compared with other modulators reported in the literature. It was found that in our design the manner in which the maximum electro-optically induced retardance, Γ(T), is chosen greatly influences the response of the device. A comparison between the Poincaré sphere and the impulse response methods for the synthesis of optical birefringent networks is given.