Simple method to diagnose the performance of electroabsorption modulators on InP using optical low-coherence reflectometry

This letter describes a judicious implication of optical low-coherence reflectometry (OLCR) measurements to evaluate the principal characteristics of an electroabsorption modulator with passive sections on either ends of its active layer fabricated on an InP substrate. We show here that careful monitoring of the reflections at the transition regions (passive to active and vice versa), and also transmission of a broadband OLCR (similar to55 nm wide and centered at similar to1.56 mum) probe light as a function of applied reverse bias, permit a nearly complete assessment of the device. For example, in addition to assessing the quality of the transition regions, such a study further leads to the determination of the optimal operation wavelength and also the modulation depth of the device. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.