Small-Signal Cross-Gain Modulation of Quantum-Dot Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Author

Kim, Jungho ; Chuang, Shun Lien

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Illinois Univ. at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Volume

18

Issue

23

fYear

2006

Firstpage

2538

Lastpage

2540

Abstract

The small-signal cross-gain modulation (XGM) characteristics of a p-doped quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) are measured and compared with a theoretical model. The measured small-signal XGM responses show an average 3-dB bandwidth of 3.5 GHz and have no significant dependence on the pump-probe detuning wavelength. This indicates that the main XGM mechanism of the p-doped QD SOA is the total carrier density change rather than spectral hole burning. The measured small-signal conversion efficiency is compared with a theoretical model, which is derived from rate equations for QD SOAs. Based on our theoretical results, we find that the reduced intersubband (from the QD excited to ground state) carrier relaxation time due to p-type doping will decrease the small-signal 3-dB XGM bandwidth of QD SOAs

Keywords

carrier density; optical modulation; quantum dot lasers; semiconductor doping; semiconductor optical amplifiers; 3.5 GHz; QD SOA; XGM; carrier density; carrier relaxation time; cross-gain modulation; excited state; ground state; p-doping; pump-probe detuning wavelength; quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers; small-signal conversion efficiency; Bandwidth; Charge carrier density; Doping; Equations; Optical wavelength conversion; Quantum dots; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Semiconductor process modeling; Stationary state; Wavelength measurement; Cross-gain modulation; quantum dot; semiconductor optical amplifiers; wavelength conversion;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2006.887337

Filename

4032851