An optical modulator apparatus and linearization method are disclosed. The optical modulator may include a buffer layer disposed proximate the electro-optical material substrate. The optical modulator may also include physically asymmetric waveguide elements, which may have physically asymmetric waveguide arms or physically asymmetric hot electrodes. The waveguide arms may include first and second waveguide arms having different dimensions, and the hot electrodes may include first and second hot electrodes having different dimensions. Modulator linearization may be achieved by the above-described modulator structure. Modulator linearization may also be achieved by asymmetric external driving of electric fields applied to the waveguide elements, where the waveguide or electrode dimensions may or may not be symmetric.