title: Investigation of electrooptic modulator disruption by microwave-induced transients.
abstract: This paper presents a detailed investigation of the physical mechanisms underlying the disruption of a lithium niobate electrooptic modulator by RF pulses. It is shown that short-term modulator disruption is a direct consequence of resistive heating within the metal conductor of the coplanar waveguide electrode, which leads to a thermo-optic optical phase shift in the waveguides of the modulator. Resistive heating is also shown to contribute to permanent modulator damage at higher RF power. These results indicate that short-term RF disruption, and possibly RF damage, can be mitigated through improved thermal management. They also predict that short-term photonic link disruption can be reduced, if not eliminated, by use of a phase modulated photonic link.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20375, USA.
authors.forename: Ross T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Schermer
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bucholtz
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Villarruel
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil Gil
authors.forename: Tim D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008872:Microwaves; D009556:Niobium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055096:Optical Devices; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D009556:Niobium; C091692:lithium niobate