Creation of arbitrary spectra with an electro-optic modulator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how a waveguide electro-optic modulator driven by an arbitrary waveform generator can generate customizable optical spectra with arbitrary sideband patterns, extending the serrodyne technique.

Contribution

It introduces a method to produce arbitrary optical spectra with customizable sideband patterns using linear phase ramps applied to an electro-optic modulator.

Findings

Able to generate spectra with sidebands spaced in the 100 MHz range

Controlled spectral patterns through programmed voltage ramps

Extension of the serrodyne technique for arbitrary spectra

Abstract

We use a waveguide-based electro-optic phase modulator, driven by a nanosecond-timescale arbitrary waveform generator, to produce an optical spectrum with an arbitrary pattern of sidebands. A programmed sequence of linear voltage ramps, with various slopes, is applied to the modulator. The resulting phase ramps give rise to sidebands whose frequency offsets relative to the carrier are equal to the slopes of the corresponding linear phase ramps. This extension of the serrodyne technique provides multi-line spectra with sideband spacings in the 100 MHz range.