Talk:Electro-optic modulator

Just modified this as it included direction of the beam in the list of the things that can be modulated. Don't know how this would be possible, changed to polarization, perhaps that is what they meant originally.

I think that the derivation of the phase modulation spectrum should go to the appropriate phase modulation article.

I think the statement that "Organic polymers are best for this application" is highly questionable. Such polymers have been explored in many labs, but are not widely used in commercial applications (if at all). Having a fast response time is not the sole criteria to judge an electro-optic material-cost, durability, absorption, damage threshold, etc are often more important, depending on the application. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.149.49.249 (talk) 22:14, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

Technical level

I am not competent to edit this article. In fact, with a PhD in physical chemistry, and a lifetime never far from high-tech devices and electronic toys and an occasional instrument design with phase-lock loops, I am not competent to *read* this article. I feel a great need to see a picture of a phase-modulated sine wave. My first impression was that phase modulation meant instant inversion at zero-crossing, because i have seen pictures of this at low frequency. My current image looks more like constant-frequency spells separated by single (?) thin or fat sine waves, and I can see that this would be detectable by mixing with a constant-phase signal. But for novices like me, it would be really helpful to have this drawn on the blackboard *correctly*!

There are no doubt other places in the article that need this sort of attention, but I am sufficiently confused by the first section to look elsewhere for guidance.

I came to this article because of news on the web from Southamption of phase-modulation over fiber optics as the next advance in transmission speed. In other words, this 'low-importance' article is now topical.

Ferren (talk) 16:07, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Side Bands

The writing gives the impression that the purpose of the modulator is to create side bands. A signal is modulated for the purpose of imparting information on it. This process inevitably creates side bands. There a renumerous modulation techniques and different applications for them. A few references would be apprpriate. These optical modulators are at the heart of the optical fiber neworks that are spanning the globe. They are very important components and widey used in any form of optical communication. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.58.33.18 (talk) 20:54, 6 January 2012 (UTC)