Low drive voltage GaAs quantum well electroabsorption modulators obtained with a displaced junction

• Published in: IEEE photonics technology letters Vol. 6; no. 5; pp. 619 - 622
• Main Authors: Crook, A.C., Cockerill, T.M., Forbes, D.V., Herzinger, C.M., DeTemple, T.A., Coleman, J.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-05-1994; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Degradation; Doping profiles; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Gallium arsenide; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Laser transitions; Low voltage; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical elements, devices, and systems; Optical processors, correlators, and modulators; Optics; P-n junctions; Physics; Quantum well lasers; Waveguide junctions; Waveguide lasers; Waveguide transitions; Aluminium arsenides; Electroabsorption modulator; Gallium arsenides; Inorganic compounds; Semiconductor materials; Ternary compounds; Quantum wells; Binary compounds; Experimental study; Design; Optical modulators; Waveguides; Heterojunctions
• ISSN: 1041-1135; 1941-0174
• DOI: 10.1109/68.285559

A reduction in the drive voltage of an electroabsorption waveguide modulator based on an AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well laser heterostructure is demonstrated by a simple change in the position of the p-n junction relative to the quantum well. This is accomplished by adjusting the doping profile and does not significantly alter the operation of the structure as a laser or degrade other aspects of device performance such as reverse breakdown voltage and series resistance. A contrast ratio of 25 dB (5 dB/100 μm) was obtained with a bias change of -2 V.