Piezoelectrics-Based Integrated Optical Waveguide for Mach-Zehnder Interferometer as the Modulator in Microwave Photonic Link

Microwave photonic link (MPL), which processes microwave signal with photonic technologies, has offered many advantages such as increased channel capacity, immunity to RF disturbance, reduction of size and weight, and low loss. External modulation of the MPL applies Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) for the modulating. The traditional phase transitional behavior of the EO device lacks the performances required for quick response, low half-wave voltage V and high loaded power, while maintaining low noise, high SNR, and large dynamic range operation. This paper proposed a method in which the piezoelectric ceramic-based integrated optical waveguide with 3dB loss at the highest power was applied to the MZI. We built the physical model for the phase transitional behavior based on the piezoelectrics, analyzed the piezoelectric properties of ceramics. The impacts of the piezoelectric ceramic on the property of MPL were discussed numerically.