Patent ID: 7065301

Claim:
An arrangement for generating a high speed optical output signal modulated by an input data pattern, the arrangement comprising an electro-optic modulator responsive to an optical input signal and a modulating electrical input signal for generating the modulated optical output signal, the electro-optic modulator comprising a free carrier-based modulator utilizing changes in carrier density to generate the modulated optical output signal, the modulator including a first element having free carrier dopants of a first conductivity type; and a second element having free carrier dopants of a second, opposite conductivity type, the first and second elements being disposed so as to form a waveguide and support the propagation of an optical signal from the electro-optic modulator input to the electro-optic modulator output, wherein the application of the modulating electrical input signal to the electro-optic modulator generates free carrier movement so as to modulate the free carrier density in the first and second elements and introduce a modulation in the refractive index of the waveguide, thereby creating the modulated optical output signal; and an equalizer/pre-emphasis module disposed at the electrical input to the electro-optic modulator, the equalizer/pre-emphasis module for inserting a pre-emphasis pulse of a predetermined magnitude and a predetermined duration into the modulating electrical input signal at each transition between a first data value and a second data value of the input data pattern, the inserted pre-emphasis pulses to accelerate free carrier modulation between the first data value and the second data value so as to extend the bandwidth of the electro-optic modulator without increasing the optical loss thereof.