Photonic Crystal Waveguide Electro-Optic Modulator With a Wide Bandwidth

Future optical systems will require electro-optic (EO) modulators with bandwidths of 100 GHz. For high-speed modulation, a photonic crystal (PhC) waveguide modulator using a ferroelectric thin film has been proposed. Here we report on the design, fabrication and properties of optical intensity modulator and its microwave frequency dependence. The 1.5 mm long BaTiO
₃
PhC modulator has a figure-of-merit of 2.1 V·cm drive voltage-length product, >50 GHz 3 dB bandwidth at an operating wavelength of 1560 nm.