Photonic integrated single-sideband modulator/frequency shifter based on surface acoustic waves

Abstract

Optical frequency shifters are essential components of many systems. In this paper, a compact integrated optical frequency shifter is designed making use of the combination of surface acoustic waves and Mach-Zehnder interferometers. It has a very simple operation setup and can be fabricated in standard semiconductor materials. The performance of the device is analyzed in detail, and by using multi-branch interferometers, the sensitivity of the device to fabrication tolerances can be drastically reduced.