Operating characteristics of GaAs-lnGaAs self-biased piezoelectric S-SEEDs

A theoretical analysis is presented of the performance of GaAs-In _xGaAs self-biased piezoelectric symmetric self-electro-optic-effect devices (S-SEED). Although the operation of these devices has been demonstrated, the limitations on their performance have not been investigated. Despite the benefits associated with this type of S-SEED, the model presented suggests that their insertion loss cannot be less than ~70%. Further, because of the high quality factor required for the optical cavity, it is believed that the reproducibility of the contrast ratio will be intolerant to differences between the nominal and actual absorption coefficients. The model therefore suggests that these structures are not promising candidates for the logical elements required in optical processing