Enhancement of All-Optical Cross Phase Modulation in InGaAs/AlAsSb Coupled Quantum Wells Using InAlAs Coupling Barriers

Author

Nagase, Masanori ; Akimoto, Ryoichi ; Simoyama, Takasi ; Guangwei, Cong ; Mozume, Teruo ; Hasama, Toshifumi ; Ishikawa, Hiroshi

Volume

20

Issue

24

fYear

2008

Firstpage

2183

Lastpage

2185

Abstract

Ultrafast all-optical cross phase modulation (XPM) was enhanced in the InGaAs/AlAsSb coupled quantum wells using new InAlAs coupling barrier. Furthermore, a high XPM efficiency of 0.15 rad/pJ, which is approximately three times as large as that of a previous sample with the AlAs coupling barrier, was obtained by realizing the strong optical confinement in a narrower waveguide. From the analysis of the quantum levels and the measurement of the absorption spectra, the enhanced XPM efficiency was suggested to be contributed by the refractive index dispersion of the interband transition that was modulated by the intersubband transitions (ISBTs). This large XPM efficiency is expected to give a higher performance in Mach-Zehnder interferometer-type ultrafast all-optical switch.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Mach-Zehnder interferometers; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; infrared spectra; integrated optics; optical communication equipment; optical modulation; optical switches; optical waveguides; refractive index; semiconductor quantum wells; time division multiplexing; InAlAs; InGaAs-AlAsSb; Mach-Zehnder interferometer-type ultrafast all-optical switch; absorption spectra; coupled quantum wells; coupling barrier; intersubband transitions; quantum levels; refractive index dispersion; ultrafast all-optical cross phase modulation; All-optical switch; coupled quantum wells (CQW); cross-phase modulation (XPM); intersubband transition (ISBT);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2008.2006915

Filename

4663581