Narrow bandwidth electrooptic polarization modulator using GaAs quantum-well waveguides

Author

Ranalli, E.R. ; Sonek, G.J.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., California Univ., Irvine, CA, USA

Volume

3

Issue

4

fYear

1991

fDate

4/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

320

Lastpage

323

Abstract

An electrooptic TE-TM polarization converter using a strip-loaded GaAs-AlGaAs multiple quantum well waveguide is discussed. At a wavelength of 870.5 nm, or an energy of approximately 50 meV below the heavy hole exciton resonance, a polarization conversion efficiency of 0.6 degrees /V-mm has been achieved. In addition, a spectral bandwidth of approximately 0.6 nm has been measured for a 3.8-mm-long device. Results indicate that modal birefringence and electroabsorption, due to exciton broadening in the presence of a lateral field, has a significant effect on device efficiency and spectral bandwidth. The mode converter described should be well-suited for use with semiconductor laser diodes in optical signal processing and computing applications.<>

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; electro-optical devices; electroabsorption; excitons; gallium arsenide; integrated optics; optical modulation; optical polarisers; optical waveguides; semiconductor quantum wells; 3.8 mm; 870.5 nm; GaAs-AlGaAs; electroabsorption; electrooptic TE-TM polarization converter; electrooptic polarization modulator; exciton broadening; heavy hole exciton resonance; modal birefringence; narrow bandwidth; polarization conversion efficiency; spectral bandwidth; strip-loaded GaAs-AlGaAs multiple quantum well waveguide; Bandwidth; Electrooptic modulators; Electrooptical waveguides; Excitons; Gallium arsenide; Optical waveguides; Polarization; Quantum well devices; Quantum wells; Resonance;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.82099

Filename

82099