Simultaneous frequency response measurement of electro-absorption modulation transceivers based on a self-referenced...

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Photonics
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Characterizing optoelectronic transceivers, specifically electro-absorption modulated lasers (EMLs) and photodetectors (PDs), is crucial for high-speed communication systems.
• Existing methods often require separate measurements or complex calibration procedures, limiting efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel electro-optic method for simultaneous and efficient characterization of EMLs and PDs within a transceiver.
• To eliminate the need for additional optical-to-electrical or electrical-to-optical calibration steps.

Main Methods:

• A self-referenced pilot-tone technique is employed within a shared experimental setup.
• The frequency response of EMLs is determined using a low-frequency difference-frequency pilot.
• The frequency response of PDs is extracted by analyzing sum- and difference-frequency pilots generated by microwave driving signals.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully characterized an electro-absorption modulation transceiver up to 40 GHz.
• Independent frequency responses for both EML and PD were obtained in a single measurement.
• Experimental results showed good agreement with traditional electro-optic frequency sweeping methods.

Conclusions:

• The self-referenced pilot method offers an efficient and accurate approach for transceiver characterization.
• This technique simplifies the measurement process by avoiding complex calibration, making it suitable for high-frequency applications.