Integrated optical devices open network vistas
Karl Kissa, Uniphase Telecom Products
Integrated optic modulators provide chirp-free modulation with on-off ratios that meet the requirements of WDM systems. The marketplace is demanding higher levels of integration in the modulator to simplify the overall system and increase the reliability of the transmitter's optical train. The demand for higher bit rates also requires new modulation formats and devices with more functionality than the simple Mach-Zehnder interferometers used in today's systems.