Q-modulated semiconductor laser using deep etched subwavelength trenches

Summary form only given, as follows. Novel structures and mechanisms for high-speed modulation of semiconductor lasers are proposed and analyzed. The modulator consists of an anti-resonant Fabry-Perot cavity constituted by deep etched subwavelength trenches, which acts as a rear reflector of the laser. The change of the absorption coefficient in the modulator results in a change in the Q-factor of the laser, and consequently the lasing threshold and output power. An example structure and simulation results for a distributed feedback laser is presented. The monolithically integrated Q-modulated laser (QML) has advantages of high speed, high extinction ratio, low wavelength chirp and no insertion loss, and it does not require bandgap engineering of the quantum well material as in conventional electroabsorption modulated laser (EML).