Patent ID: 7899277

Claim:
An optical modulator, comprising: a substrate for supporting electrical components; a conducting layer on a first region of the substrate for providing an electrical ground plane; an insulating layer on a second region of the substrate for accommodating an electrical circuit; an electro-optic optical waveguide disposed on the conducting layer for receiving an input optical signal and transmitting an output optical signal; a traveling wave microstrip electrode having a plurality of contact segments on an upper portion of the optical waveguide for modulating the input optical signal in response to an input modulating signal applied to the microstrip electrode; a source bond pad disposed on the insulating layer for receiving the input modulating signal from a signal source; a termination bond pad disposed on the insulating layer for transmitting a residual modulating signal to a termination circuit; and a network of reactive electrical components disposed on the insulating layer, electrically interconnected with the source bond pad, with the termination bond pad and with the plurality of contact segments for modifying a microwave signal velocity in the microstrip electrode.