Performance improvement of an all-optical analog-to-digital converter (AOADC) addresses both RF and optical modeling of a leaky waveguide based optical spatial light modulator (SLM) using electro-optic (E-O) material. The E-O polymer provides improved sensitivity for SLM and achieves a broader bandwidth due to better velocity matching between RF and optical waves.

A dual-differential optical modulator includes two optical waveguide arms, each including one or more phase modulating p/n junctions. The p/n junctions in each waveguide arm are electrically coupled between a same pair of single-ended transmission lines so as to be differentially push-pull modulated when the transmission line pair is connected to a differential driver. Either cathode or anode electrodes of the p/n junctions are AC coupled to the transmission lines and DC biased independently on the transmission line signals.

One example of a system includes an optical modulator, a push-pull driver, and a compensation circuit. The optical modulator has a nonlinear capacitance. The push-pull driver is electrically coupled across the optical modulator. The push-pull driver charges the capacitance in response to a logic 1 of a level-shifted differential signal and discharges the capacitance in response to a logic 0 of the level-shifted differential signal. The compensation circuit increases the speed of the discharge of the capacitance in response to the level-shifted differential signal transitioning from a logic 1 to a logic 0.

A dual-differential optical modulator includes two optical waveguide arms, each including one or more phase modulating p/n junctions. The p/n junctions in each waveguide arm are electrically coupled between a same pair of single-ended transmission lines so as to be differentially push-pull modulated when the transmission line pair is connected to a differential driver. Either cathode or anode electrodes of the p/n junctions are AC coupled to the transmission lines and DC biased independently on the transmission line signals.

Performance improvement of an all-optical analog-to-digital converter (AOADC) addresses both RF and optical modeling of a leaky waveguide based optical spatial light modulator (SLM) using electro-optic (E-O) material. The E-O polymer provides improved sensitivity for SLM and achieves a broader bandwidth due to better velocity matching between RF and optical waves.

Disclosed are structures and methods for CMOS drivers that drive silicon optical push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) with twice the drive voltage per interferometer arm as with prior art designs.

A dual-differential optical modulator includes two optical waveguide arms, each including one or more phase modulating p/n junctions. The p/n junctions in each waveguide arm are electrically coupled between a same pair of single-ended transmission lines so as to be differentially push-pull modulated when the transmission line pair is connected to a differential driver. Either cathode or anode electrodes of the p/n junctions are AC coupled to the transmission lines and DC biased independently on the transmission line signals.

A dual-differential optical modulator includes two optical waveguide arms, each including one or more phase modulating p/n junctions. The p/n junctions in each waveguide arm are electrically coupled between a same pair of single-ended transmission lines so as to be differentially push-pull modulated when the transmission line pair is connected to a differential driver. Either cathode or anode electrodes of the p/n junctions are AC coupled to the transmission lines and DC biased independently on the transmission line signals.

A dual-drive push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulator is provided that suppresses electrical common-mode signal components using differential input in order to mitigate parasitic phase shift effects. The modulator is configured with at least two phase shifting sections with each having a respective set of diodes. Drive signals for each phase shifter are swapped by swapping two waveguide arms in which the first and second set of diodes are constructed in a particular configuration such that the electric field applied by each drive signal in the second set of diodes is the negative of what such signal was in the first set of set of diodes. As the input optical signal propagates through the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm, each arm independently modulates the phase which are then re-combined to provide an optical output signal with at least one suppressed signal component.

A dual-drive push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulator is provided that suppresses electrical common-mode signal components using differential input in order to mitigate parasitic phase shift effects. The modulator is configured with at least two phase shifting sections with each having a respective set of diodes. Drive signals for each phase shifter are swapped by swapping two waveguide arms in which the first and second set of diodes are constructed in a particular configuration such that the electric field applied by each drive signal in the second set of diodes is the negative of what such signal was in the first set of set of diodes. As the input optical signal propagates through the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm, each arm independently modulates the phase which are then re-combined to provide an optical output signal with at least one suppressed signal component.