Photo-induced DC drift in Mach-Zehnder modulators using lead lanthanum zirconate titanate thin films

We experimentally investigated the photo-induced direct current (DC) drift of a lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) Mach-Zehnder modulator with large optical input power. We clarify the mechanism by which short-term and long-term DC drifts arise and discuss each case of DC drift. We reveal that short-term DC drift can be reduced by adjusting the buffer-layer resistivity of the PLZT modulator. We also found that the impurity level of the buffer layer affects long-term DC drift.

Automated summary

In this study, we experimentally investigated the photo-induced direct current (DC) drift in a lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) Mach-Zehnder modulator with large optical input power. We clarified the mechanism behind the short-term and long-term DC drift and discussed each case. Our findings suggest that the short-term DC drift can be reduced by adjusting the buffer-layer resistivity of the PLZT modulator, while the impurity level of the buffer layer affects the long-term DC drift.