OPTICAL CONFINEMENT FACTOR IN WAVE-GUIDE ELECTROABSORPTION MODULATORS- DESIGN AND MEASUREMENT

In this paper, we show that optical confinement factor (gamma) can be a powerful design tool for optimizing the total performance of wavegui de electroabsorption modulator, provided the material design is also o ptimized. In particular, a small-gamma, large-core waveguide design no t only reduces the fiber-to-fiber insertion loss, but also improves th e robustness of the waveguide mode, as shown by the experimental measu rement of gamma as a function of applied voltage for two types of wave guides.