Analysis and optimization of polarization-insensitive semiconductoroptical amplifiers with delta-strained quantum wells

Polarization sensitivity of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) with delta-strained quantum-well (QW) structures is investigated. The valence band structures and TE, TM optical gain spectra are calculated for the various delta-strained QW structures. It is shown that the number and location of the delta layers affect the polarization dependence of the delta-strained quantum well SOA signal gains. The optimal delta-strained QW structure for the SOA application is identified and its theoretical verification is provided     

Design and ASE characteristics of 1550-nm polarization-insensitivesemiconductor optical amplifiers containing tensile and compressivewells

The polarization dependence of 1550-nm semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA's) containing tensile and compressive wells has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Our model to predict the polarization-resolved (TE and TM) gain spectra of these structures has been confirmed by amplified spontaneous emission measurements. It is found that there can be appreciable carrier redistribution between the two types of wells when the tensile layers have the large thickness (greater than 100 Å) needed for gain at wavelengths around 1550 nm. This carrier redistribution can significantly modify the ratio of the gains for different polarizations, in particular, decreasing the TM gain with respect to the TE gain, and, hence, is an important design consideration. We use our model and experimental data to explore design criteria for 1550-nm polarization-independent SOA's     

Influence of nonuniform carrier distribution on the polarizationdependence of modal gain in multiquantum-well lasers and semiconductoroptical amplifiers

We investigate the modal gain seen by transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) modes of bulk and multiquantum-well (MQW) lasers given a nonuniform distribution of active region carriers. We find that the dependence of modal gain on the nonuniformity of carrier profile differs for TE and TM modes. This experimentally observable phenomenon is proposed as a measure of carrier density nonuniformity. We discuss the importance of the confinement picture for TE and TM modes, in the generalized presence of some asymmetry, in assuring injection-level independent polarization insensitivity in semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers     

适于InGaAsP光放大器偏振不灵敏的增益介质

研制了适于InGaAsP光放大器偏振不灵敏的增益介质 ,采用有源区内交替的张应变和压应变排列的混合应变量子阱结构 ,器件做成带有倾角的扇形。实验中发现该结构既抑制了激射又改善了器件的偏振灵敏性 ,实现了偏振灵敏度小于 0 5dB ,10 0mA偏置时可达 0 1dB。在较大的电流范围内 ,峰的半高全宽 (FWHM)为 4 0nm。     

低偏振灵敏度半导体光放大器

报道了基于混合应变量子阱材料的半导体光放大器 (SOA)。利用张应变量子阱加强了TM模的增益 ,使之接近TE模的增益 ,从而使SOA的偏振灵敏度大为降低。在 150mA的偏置下 ,获得了 2 4dB的小信号增益和 1dB的偏振灵敏度。     

Strained InGaAsP multi-quantum-well structures for InP-based wide linewidth and polarization-insensitive semiconductor optical amplifiers

We have calculated the band structure of 1.55 μm InGaAsP/InGaAsP multi-quantum-well structures using Lüttinger–Kohn Hamiltonian taking into account the strain in the quantum wells (QWs) and barriers, and the confinement in the quantum wells. Using the calculated dispersion curves and oscillator strength between the different interband transitions, we have determined the optical gain in TE and TM mode and the spontaneous amplified emission as a function of injected carrier density in devices composed of quantum wells with different thicknesses. We find that an optical gain linewidth larger than 130 nm with a TE/TM polarization dependence lower than 1 dB can be obtained using a three-quantum-well In_0.53Ga_0.47As_0.96P_0.04/InGaAsP active layer with quantum well thicknesses of 10, 14 and 19 nm.     

基于SOA互增益调制双折射效应的全光2-4电平编码转换

提出了一种利用半导体光放大器(SOA)的互增益调制(XGM)的双折射效应实现全光2-4电平编码转换的方法.两路2-电平强度调制光信号正交偏振合波后,沿SOA的主轴进入,利用SOA的偏振调制实现被调制信号光的偏振调制,通过检偏输出4-电平强度调制光,从而实现2-4电平调制的编码转换.     

Gain saturation properties of a semiconductor gain medium withtensile and compressive strain quantum wells

Gain saturation properties of a multiple-quantum-well structure with both tensile and compressively strained quantum wells are investigated analytically. This type of structure has recently been experimentally demonstrated to serve as a basis for the implementation of a two-polarization/two-frequency laser and polarization insensitive travelling wave(TW) amplifier. The performance of these devices strongly depends on the interaction between the TE and TM gains of the structure. The gain medium model appropriate for this type of structure is developed and the rate equation approach is used to describe the saturation properties of TE/TM gains and the coupling between the TE and TM gains due to gain saturation. The minimum amount of coupling between the two is governed by the basic symmetry of the light-hole wavefunction which interacts with photons of both polarization: photon cross-coupling. The finite rate of carrier escape from the quantum wells provides for carrier induced coupling between the populations of the two well types and therefore also couples TE and TM gains: carrier cross-coupling. The performance of a polarization insensitive amplifier, laser, and polarization control element is evaluated as a function of the amount of carrier cross-coupling, which is a structure dependent parameter. A structure with high degree of cross-coupling is desirable for polarization insensitive TW amplifier, while two-polarization lasers and polarization control elements require minimum cross-coupling     

Temperature dependence of polarization characteristics in buriedfacet semiconductor laser amplifiers

The temperature dependence of gain and amplified spontaneous power for both TE and TM modes in semiconductor laser amplifiers are measured. Experiments are performed on three selected amplifier types, with higher TE, higher TM, and equal TE-TM gains, respectively. The gain differences are significantly reduced at higher temperature for the TE-dominant and TM-dominant amplifiers. For amplifiers with equal TE-TM gains, the TE and TM gains remain equal at high temperature. The measurements of the amplified spontaneous power show similar similar characteristics. More importantly, less polarization-sensitive gain characteristics can be obtained with some decrease in maximum gain by raising the operating temperature. The experimental results are explained by using the gain equations of the semiconductor laser amplifier     

Structural design criteria for polarization insensitivesemiconductor optical amplifiers

A study is made of the possibility of realizing polarization independent semiconductor optical amplifiers by operating on waveguide parameters such as active- and cladding-layer thickness, stripe width, etc. The accurate design of antireflection coating has also been considered in a formulation that allows one to consider the stripe width. It is shown that in coated ridge waveguide structures, the carrier effects on the refractive index may allow equal TE and TM gain to be obtained for various values of the gain when the waveguide geometry is designed with accuracy. The performance of a polarization-independent structure is analyzed, showing that the cost of gain equalization is an increase of the excess coupling losses     

Tunneling injection quantum-dot lasers with polarization-dependent photon-mediated carrier redistribution and gain narrowing

A theoretical and experimental study of a particular transverse-electric (TE) mode lasing mechanism of a tunneling injection InP quantum-dot (QD) laser is reported. In the experiment, the TE mode lasing action takes place at the first excited state of InP biaxially compressively strained QDs. This QD state is coupled to the ground state of two tensile-strained InGaP quantum wells (QWs) although the tensile-strained QW structure favors the transverse-magnetic (TM) polarization light emission. The measured TE and TM modal gain spectra show a typical QW gain evolution behavior at low injection currents, which can be theoretically modeled by the quasi-equilibrium of carrier distribution. When the injection current is increased near threshold, a TE gain narrowing and a simultaneous TM gain pinning are observed in the measured modal gain spectra, which cannot be explained via the quasi-equilibrium model. We propose a polarization-dependent photon-mediated carrier redistribution in the QD-coupled-QW structure to explain this TE and TM gain evolution behavior. When the injection current is just below threshold, the strong carrier depletion via stimulated emission due to coupling between the InP QD and InGaP QW states plays an important role in carrier redistribution, which depends on the optical transition energy and polarization. This concept of the polarization-dependent photon-mediated carrier redistribution explains the TE gain narrowing and TM gain pinning behavior. In addition, a coupled rate equation model is established, and the calculated polarization power ratio based on the coupled rate equations explains the experimental observation.     

Quantum-Dot Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

This paper reviews the recent progress of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers developed as ultrawideband polarization-insensitive high-power amplifiers, high-speed signal regenerators, and wideband wavelength converters. A semiconductor optical amplifier having a gain of > 25 dB, noise figure of < 5 dB, and 3-dB saturation output power of > 20 dBm, over the record widest bandwidth of 90 nm among all kinds of optical amplifiers, and also having a penalty-free output power of 23 dBm, the record highest among all the semiconductor optical amplifiers, was realized by using quantum dots. By utilizing isotropically shaped quantum dots, the TM gain, which is absent in the standard Stranski-Krastanow QDs, has been drastically enhanced, and nearly polarization-insensitive SOAs have been realized for the first time. With an ultrafast gain response unique to quantum dots, an optical regenerator having receiver-sensitivity improving capability of 4 dB at a BER of 10^-9 and operating speed of > 40 Gb/s has been successfully realized with an SOA chip. This performance achieved together with simplicity of structure suggests a potential for low-cost realization of regenerative transmission systems.     

多量子阱有效折射率偏振相关性研究

分析了多量子阱材料各参数对其TE模和TM模有效折射率的影响。结果表明:阱数增多,多量子阱有效折射率降低,当量子阱数目大于3时,其有效折射率的变化不明显。垒厚增加,有效折射率略有降低。存在合适的张应变量使TE模和TM模有效折射率峰值波长接近的同时,折射率差值整体最小,偏振相关性最小。据此提出多量子阱材料有效折射率低偏振相关设计方法,并设计出C波段内(1530~1565 nm)折射率低偏振相关的InGaAs/InGaAsP多量子阱材料。研究结果有助于设计实用化的有效折射率低偏振相关量子阱材料。     

Polarization-insensitive quantum-well semiconductor opticalamplifiers

Theoretical modeling and fabrication of polarization-insensitive semiconductor optical amplifiers that use a multi-quantum-well structure as the gain media are reported. Polarization insensitivity of gain is achieved through the introduction tensile strain into the quantum wells. Gain calculations, using the k·p method, were performed to obtain the required amount of tensile strain to obtain polarization insensitivity over a wide energy spectrum. Fabricated amplifiers show a polarization-insensitive (<1 dB) spectral width of 10 nm at 1300 nm in the InGaAsP/InP system, 15 nm at 1300 nm in the AlInGaAs/InP system, and 40 nm at 1550 nm in the AlInGaAs/InP system     

1.55-μm dual-polarization lasers implemented with compressive and tensile-strained quantum wells

Active regions containing both compressive- and tensile-strained quantum wells can he used to fabricate dual-polarization lasers and polarization insensitive amplifiers. In this letter we present experimental and theoretical results of dual-polarization lasers operating at 1.55 μm. A six quantum-well laser structure containing alternately placed compressive- and tensile-strained quantum wells was found to lase in both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations simultaneously. The temperature characteristics of these devices are analyzed theoretically and found to depend strongly on the choice of the barrier band gap     

大带宽半导体光学放大器的理论分析

提出一种新型的半导体光学放大器结构,并从增益谱和能带结构等角度分析其特征,得出其大带宽内偏振不灵敏的原因和规律.通过剖析该结构中有源区各部分的作用,得出大的张应变的引入主要是用于提高TM模的材料增益,获得偏振不灵敏和大的TE模带宽,减小制备难度.厚的无应变层的引入主要是为了改善有源层晶体质量,获得大的偏振不灵敏模式增益.     

大带宽半导体光学放大器的理论分析

提出一种新型的半导体光学放大器结构,并从增益谱和能带结构等角度分析其特征,得出其大带宽内偏振不灵敏的原因和规律.通过剖析该结构中有源区各部分的作用,得出大的张应变的引入主要是用于提高TM模的材料增益,获得偏振不灵敏和大的TE模带宽,减小制备难度.厚的无应变层的引入主要是为了改善有源层晶体质量,获得大的偏振不灵敏模式增益.     

Gain and intervalence band absorption in quantum-well lasers

The linear gain and the intervalence band absorption are analyzed for quantum-well lasers. First, we analyze the electronic dipole moment in quantum-well structures. The dipole moment for the TE mode in quantum-well structures is found to be about 1.5 times larger at the subband edges than that of conventional double heterostructures. Also obtained is the difference of the dipole moment between TE and TM modes, which results in the gain difference between these modes. Then we derive the linear gain taking into account the intraband relaxation. As an example, we applied this analysis to GaInAs/InP quantum-well lasers. It is shown that the effects of the intraband relaxation are 1) shift of the gain peak toward shorter wavelength with increasing injected carrier density even in quantum-well structures, 2) increase of the gain-spectrum width due to the softening of the profile, and 3) reduction in the maximum gain by 30-40 percent. The intervalence band absorption analyzed for quantum-well lasers is nearly in the same order as that for conventional structures. However, its effect on the threshold is smaller because the gain is larger for quantum wells than conventional ones. The characteristic temperature T0of the threshold current of GaInAs/InP multiquantum-well lasers is calculated to be about 90 K at 300 K for well width and well number of 100 Å and 10, respectively.     

Gain saturation properties of a polarization insensitivesemiconductor amplifier implemented with tensile and compressive strainquantum wells

The gain saturation properties of a 1.3 μm polarization insensitive semiconductor amplifier implemented with tensile and compressive strain quantum well active region are experimentally investigated in order to determine how well the amplifier maintains its polarization insensitivity in the saturation regime. The amplifier has unsaturated gain of 12 dB and in the saturation regime the maximum observed gain imbalance between TE and TM gains is 0.9 dB. The measured 3 dB saturation output power is 5 mW     

基于保持光注入的半导体光放大器自偏振旋转性能的改善

研究了基于“保持光”（holding beam）注入（HBI）改善半导体光放大器（SOA）自偏振旋转（SPR）性能的方法。HBI虽然降低了SOA的偏振模式增益,但是缩短了对TE和TM模式的增益恢复时间,从而加速了SOA器SPR特性对超快信号的响应。以基于SOA的SPR特性的光功率均衡为例,我们发现,HBI可以明显抑制和...