Optical Fiber Communications

Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

Yasser M. Sabry, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Ain Shams University
Cairo, Egypt
Fall 2022-2023
 Basic structure of the MZI

Y-junction Y-junction Longer

splitter combiner waveguide

Phase modulator =Intensity modulation

ΔV Δn Δβ
𝑂/𝑃
𝐼/𝑃 1

Ii Io 0.5 λ3dB

14 October 2022 Optical Communications Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (2)

 Unbalanced MZI
𝑂/𝑃
𝐼/𝑃 1 𝐸𝑖 𝐸𝑜

0.5 λ3dB

𝐸𝑖 −𝑗𝛽𝐿1
1 𝐸𝑖 −𝑗𝛽𝐿2
1
𝐸𝑜 = ×𝑒 × + ×𝑒 ×
2 2 2 2

𝐸𝑜 1 −𝑗𝛽 𝐿1 +𝐿2
−
𝑗𝛽 𝐿1 −𝐿2 𝑗𝛽 𝐿1 −𝐿2
−𝑗𝛽𝐿𝑎𝑣
∆𝐿
= 𝑒 2 𝑒 2 +𝑒 2 =𝑒 cos 𝛽
𝐸𝑖 2 2

𝐼𝑜 2
∆𝐿 2
𝜋𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿
= 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛽 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠
𝐼𝑖 2 𝜆

14 October 2022 Optical Communications Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (3)

 UBMZI filter response
𝑂/𝑃
𝐼/𝑃 1 𝐸𝑖 𝐸𝑜

0.5 λ3dB

𝐼𝑜 2
𝜋𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿 2
𝜋𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 𝑓∆𝐿
= 𝑐𝑜𝑠 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠
𝐼𝑖 𝜆 𝐶
• Free spectral range
𝐶 𝜆2 • Central wavelengths
Δ𝑓 = Δ𝜆 =
𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿 𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿 𝑚𝜆𝑐 = 𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿

• 3-dB spectral width • Finesse

𝐶 𝜆2 Δ𝑓
𝑓3𝑑𝐵 = 𝜆3𝑑𝐵 = ℱ= =2
2𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿 2𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓 ∆𝐿 𝑓3𝑑𝐵
14 October 2022 Optical Communications Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (4)
 MZI with 2 outputs
• When a DC is used at the
output of the MZI, we get
two complementary
outputs
𝐸1
𝐸𝑖

𝐸2

𝐸𝑖 −𝑗𝛽𝐿1
𝐸𝑖
𝐸1 = 𝑒 𝐸2 = 𝑒 −𝑗𝛽𝐿2
2 2
14 October 2022 Optical Communications Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (5)
 MZI as a Mux
FSR=4Δλ FSR=8Δλ

∆𝐿
Δλ
FSR=2Δλ 4 8
2∆𝐿

λ 24 6 8 ∆𝐿

4∆𝐿 2 6
∆𝐿
3 7
2∆𝐿
13 5 7
∆𝐿

1 5

14 October 2022 Optical Communications Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (6)