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Institute of Korean Electrical and Electronics Engineers (한국전기전자학회)
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Variable and Flexible Optical Frequency Comb Source using Dual Mach Zehnder Modulator and Phase Modulator

  • Received : 2016.09.23
  • Accepted : 2016.11.15
  • Published : 2016.12.31
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Abstract

We demonstrated experimentally a variable optical frequency comb source using a cascaded dual parallel Mach Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) and a phase modulator (PM). With this simple configuration and applying low drive voltages, we generated variable comb source composed of spectral lines 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 with 10-GHz frequency spacing, also generated 2 and 3 spectral lines with 20 GHz frequency spacing. The generated comb source maintains high spectral coherence across the entire bandwidth with good spectral flatness (within 1-dB for 2, 3, 5, 7 comb lines, within 2-dB for 9-comb lines and within 3-dB for 11 comb lines). The flat and variable comb source is mainly achieved by manipulating 6 operating parameters of DPMZM, setting RF amplifier gain, connected at phase modulator and phase shifters. Hence the method is simple and offers great flexibility in achieving flat and variable comb spectrum, which is experimentally demonstrated. This brings advantages of power efficiency due to low driving voltages, simplicity and cost effectiveness to the system.

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References

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