40 Gbit/s electroabsorption modulators with impedance-controlled electrodes

Abstract
A novel travelling-wave electroabsorption optical modulator, electrically matched for 50 Ω loads of driving circuit drivers, was developed. The scattering parameter of electric reflection (S11) from this modulator is less than −20 dB at 20 GHz. It can thus enable a 40 Gbit/s, 2 km SMF transmission with a 0.3 dB penalty at a 1.3 µm wavelength.