High baud rate optical signal generation through electro-optic co-design of integrated driver circuits and segmented modulators Ghent University
In a segmented modulator, the electrode is split in smaller parts. By turning on/off the various parts, it is possible to create a multitude of optical levels. As such, no electrical DAC and no linear driver are needed, saving a lot of power. The smaller electrodes can be driven more easily, cheaper silicon electronics can be applied