Electrical Probing Test for Characterizing Wideband Optical Transceiving Devices with Self-Reference and On-Chip Capability

An electrical probing test method is proposed based on serial or parallel modulation mixing scheme for characterizing wideband optical transceiving devices including high-speed semiconductor laser diodes, electro-absorption modulators, photodetectors, and Mach-Zehnder modulators. The method enables self-referenced frequency responses measurement, such as modulation index of semiconductor laser diodes, modulation index of electro-absorption modulators, responsivity of photodetectors, and modulation index and half-wave voltage of dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulators, dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulators, and push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulators. In the demonstration, the experimental results are compared to those obtained with the conventional optical or electrical methods for accuracy. The full-electrical test nature is promising for microwave characterization of wafer level devices and circuits with fully integrated transceiving components on chip.