CdTe Optical waveguide modulators

Abstract
Acoustooptic and electrooptic waveguide modulators have been fabricated in n-/n+-CdTe waveguides, where the n- guide layers were produced by high-energy proton bombardment. The acoustooptic modulators utilize 27 MHz Rayleigh surface acoustic waves generated by 2.5 mm long interdigital electrode transducers. A diffracted beam containing about 10 % of the optical power at 10.6 μm was produced with 0.5 W of acoustic power. Low-voltage electrooptic phase modulators were constructed by plating gold modulator electrodes onto the n+ CdTe wafers prior to proton bombardment. A device comprised of a 22 μm thick guide layer covered with a 14 mm long electrode produced 110° phase modulation with a 100 V bias. The modulation factor of over 1°/V is more than twice that reported for any CO2 laser modulator. Performance of both the electrooptic and acoustooptic modulators should be greatly improved at shorter wavelengths, since the efficiencies are proportional to 1/λ2

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