Phase-engineered III-V MQW Mach-Zehnder modulators

We have optimized the negative frequency chirp while maintaining a high extinction ratio in an InP-InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well (MQW) Mach-Zehnder modulator. Our procedure is to elongate one modulator arm such that a /spl pi/ phase shift is produced at zero bias relative to the opposing arm. The resulting de extinction ratio is improved to /spl ap/16 dB from 10 dB relative to a symmetric design. The frequency chirp of the modulator at the rising edge is about -3 GHz enabling excellent transmission performance over a 95 km of conventional fiber.