Sensitivity-bandwidth product for electro-optic modulators

For lumped-element electro-optic modulators, the sensitivity (partial deriv ative phi/partial derivativeV) of the phase, phi, in response to an applied voltage V is related to the optical group delay, T-g, and the bandwidth, D elta omega. This relationship imposes a fundamental trade-off between the s ensitivity and the bandwidth of electro-optic modulators: (partial derivati ve phi/partial derivativeV)Delta omega) = (dn/dV)(omega /n), where n is the optical index. A similar relationship for traveling-wave modulators sets a n upper limit on (partial derivative phi/partial derivativeV) that is propo rtional to T-g. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.