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Published September 10, 2004 | public
Journal Article Open

Electro-Optic Modulator Capable of Generating Simultaneous Amplitude and Phase Modulations

Abstract

We report on the analysis and prototype characterization of a dual-electrode electro-optic modulator that can generate both amplitude and phase modulations with a selectable relative phase, termed a quadrature variable modulator (QVM). All modulation states can be reached by tuning only the electrical inputs, facilitating real-time tuning, and the device has shown good suppression and stability properties. A mathematical analysis is presented, including the development of a geometric-phase representation for modulation. The experimental characterization of the device shows that relative suppressions of 38, 39, and 30 dB for phase, single sideband, and carrier-suppressed modulations, respectively, can be obtained as well as that the device is well behaved when scanning continuously through the parameter space of modulations. The QVM is compared with existing optical configurations that can produce amplitude and phase-modulation combinations in the context of applications such as the tuning of lock points in optical-locking schemes, single-sideband applications, modulation fast-switching applications, and applications requiring combined modulations.

Additional Information

© 2004 Optical Society of America Received 7 August 2003; revised manuscript received 3 May 2004; accepted 6 May 2004. The authors are grateful to Russell Koehne for skill and labor in modifying the original AM device. Stan Whitcomb thanks the gravitational wave research group at the Australian National University for their support and hospitality during his stay at the Australian National University. This material is based on work supported by the Australian Research Council and in part by the United States National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement PHY-0107417. This paper has been assigned LIGO Laboratory document LIGOP030031-00R.

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August 22, 2023
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