Refractive index change of GaInAs/InP disordered superlattice waveguide

The refractive index changes of disordered superlattice waveguides were measured and evaluated. A GaInAs/InP superlattice structure grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was disordered by the Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ cap annealing method. The measurement of the wavelength response of a Bragg grating waveguide shows that the refractive indexes of the disordered region vary gradually in accordance with the development of partial disordering. Maximum refractive index changes were -1.1*10/sup -2/ for the transverse electric mode and +6.7*10/sup -3/ for the transverse magnetic mode at 1.5 mu m wavelength.<>     

Switching operation in OMVPE grown GaInAs/InP MQW intersectionaloptical switch structures

An intersectional optical switch structure with an intersecting angle of 6° was fabricated on an organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy (OMVPE) grown GaInAs/InP multiple quantum-well (MQW) layered wafer. Switching operation using field-induced refractive index variation was successfully demonstrated at the reverse bias voltage of 8 V for the 1.6 μm wavelength region. Based on this switching, the field-induced refractive index variation in the QW was estimated as around 1%     

GaInAs/AlGaInAs DH and MQW lasers with 1.5-1.7 mu m lasing wavelengths grown by atmospheric pressure MOVPE

The first successful growth and fabrication of long wavelength (1.5-1.7 mu m) DH and MQW lasers by atmospheric pressure MOVPE in a 'phosphorus-free' material system is reported. The GaInAs/AlGaInAs DH and MQW lasers were grown on InP substrates. DH lasers emitting at around 1690 nm exhibit threshold current densities down to 2.8 kA/cm/sup 2/ at 25 degrees C; the characteristic temperature is 50 K in the 15-55 degrees C range. First MQW lasers with 1565 nm emission wavelength have threshold current densities around 3.2 kA/cm/sup 2/.<>     

Analysis of electric field effect in quantum box structure and itsapplication to low-loss intersectional type optical switch

The electric field induced refractive-index variation and the refractive-index variation-absorption loss variation ratio in a GaInAs/InP quantum box (QB) structure are analyzed and applied to an intersectional type optical switch. The large index variation of a few percent with low absorption characteristics in a QB structure, is found to be very useful to decrease the insertion loss at both the ON and OFF state of a QB intersectional-type optical switch. It is shown that in such a switch the loss can be decreased to less than 1 dB. The QB size dependence and fluctuations in QB size on QB-intersectional type optical switch are also discussed     

Measurement of gain, group index, group velocity dispersion, and linewidth enhancement factor of an InGaN multiple quantum-well laser diode

Gain, group index, group velocity dispersion (GVD), temperature variation of refractive index, and linewidth enhancement factor of an In/sub 0.15/Ga/sub 0.85/N/In/sub 0.02/Ga/sub 0.98/N multiple quantum-well blue laser diode was measured using the Fourier transform method as a function of wavelength from 400 to 410 nm. At the lasing wavelength (403.5 nm), the group index is 3.4, the GVD (dn/sub g//d/spl lambda/) is -37 /spl mu/m/sup -1/, the temperature variation of refractive index dn/dT is 1.3/spl times/10/sup -4/ K/sup -1/, and the linewidth enhancement factor is 5.6.     

Improved performance of 2-μm GaInAs strained quantum-well laserson InP by increasing carrier confinement

We have fabricated and analyzed strained GaInAs quantum-well diode lasers emitting at wavelengths above 2 μm, grown by metal-organic chemical vapor phase epitaxy on InP substrates. To study the effect of carrier confinement on laser performance, lasers grown with nearly lattice matched ternary GaInAs barriers and quaternary GaInAsP barriers were compared. The use of quaternary barriers improves the device performance in terms of output power, emission wavelength, characteristic temperature, differential quantum efficiency, and power efficiency. Internal losses and internal quantum efficiency remain unchanged. At a heat sink temperature of 330 K index guided diode lasers with GaInAsP-barriers emitting at 2.092 μm showed a continuous-wave (CW) output power of 42 mW/facet     

Analysis of semiconductor intersectional waveguide opticalswitch-modulator

Transmission and reflection characteristics and wavelength chirping of a guided mode in a semiconductor intersectional optical switch-modulator are analyzed by considering the electric field-induced refractive index variation along with the absorption loss variation. The refractive index and absorption ratio, α¯_p, is shown to determine the performance of the switch-modulator. A transmission port is suitable for a modulation with a high extinction ratio, low insertion loss, and small wavelength chirping. The insertion loss at the reflection port depends heavily on α¯_p. A low insertion loss and high extinction ratio intersectional optical switch is possible when -α¯_p is higher than 10, which can be realized with a quantum box structure     

Minimal group refractive index dispersion and gain evolution in ultra-broad-band quantum cascade lasers

The group refractive index dispersion in ultra-broad-band quantum cascade (QC) lasers has been determined using Fabry-Perot spectra obtained by operating the lasers in continuous wave mode below threshold. In the wavelength range of 5-8 /spl mu/m, the global change of the group refractive index is as small as +8.2 /spl times/ 10/sup -3/ /spl mu/m/sup -1/. Using the method of Hakki and Paoli (1975), the subthreshold gain of the lasers has furthermore been measured as a function of wavelength and current. At the wavelength of best performance, 7.4 /spl mu/m, a modal gain coefficient of 16 cm/spl middot/kA/sup -1/ at threshold and a waveguide loss of 18 cm/sup -1/ have been estimated. The gain evolution confirms an earlier assumption that cross-absorption restricted laser action to above 6 /spl mu/m wavelength.     

Excess noise design of InP/GaInAsP/GaInAs avalanche photodiodes

An InP/GaInAsP/GaInAs avalanche photodiode (APD) with separate absorption and multiplication (SAM) regions has been designed taking into account the excess noise generated in GaInAsP and GaInAs. The multiplication factor dependence of the excess noise factorFhas been calculated using realistic electron and hole ionization rates in InP, GaInAsP, and GaInAs, assuming that the avalanche multiplication occurs not only in InP but in GaInAsP and GaInAs. The calculatedFvalues have been compared to the experimental ones measured on a planar-type InP/GaInAsP/GaInAs APD for illumination at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. It has been found the the calculated excess noise agrees very well with the experimental measurements. The limited ranges of device parameters in which the conditions of minimal excess noise, tunneling current, and charge pile-up are satisfied have been obtained. We conclude that the excess noise generated in GaInAsP and GaInAs should be considered in a practical device design.     

GaInAs/InP quantum wires grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on V-grooved InP substrates

A single nominally lattice matched GaInAs quantum well (QW)/quantum wire (QWR) structure was grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in V-grooved InP substrates. Different Si0₂ etch masks with opening widths from 2 μm down to 200 nm (for application as second order DFB grating) were defined by optical and electron beam lithography. A damage-reduced wet chemical etching process enables the growth of the GaInAs QWs/QWRs without any InP buffer layer. In low temperature photoluminescence we found improved intensity for all wire structures prepared by this etching technique. A reduction of the period and opening width of the V-groove etch mask resulted in a optimized luminescence intensity ratio between QW and QWR. Decay times from time resolved luminescence measurements were compared to the decay times of wet or dry etched mesa wires before and after regrowth. The good optical properties of the GaInAs QWRs are encouraging for future application as a QWR-laser device.     

Planar buried heterostructure InP/GaInAs lasers grown entirely by OMVPE

GaInAs/InP planar buried heterostructure (PBH) lasers with semi-insulating blocking layers were grown in an `all? atmospheric OMVPE system. These layers had current thresholds as low as 35 mA and differential quantum efficiencies of ?16% at a wavelength of 1.64 ?m. The maximum power output was 80 mW pulsed and 8mWCW.     

Electrorefraction in GaInAs/InP multiple quantum wellheterostructures

Reports the first absolute measurement of electric-field-induced changes in refractive index in GaInAs quantum well heterostructures. Even for wavelengths as far as 40 meV below the absorption edge, excitonic effects dominate electro-optic phase modulation. This effect close to resonance yields index changes two orders of magnitude larger than in bulk material. The authors find that the size of the index change, its dependence on applied voltage, and its behaviour with wavelength are well described in terms of the quantum confined Stark effect on excitonic absorption     

Low threshold current density 1.5 mu m GaInAs/AlGaInAs graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure quantum well laser diodes grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition

A low threshold current density of 640 A/cm/sup 2/ was obtained in a 1.5 Gmm GaInAs/AlGaInAs multiple quantum well laser diode, grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition, with continuously graded-index separate-confinement heterostructure. An internal waveguide loss of 14 cm/sup -1/ and internal quantum efficiency of 59% were obtained, which are comparable to those of GaInAs/GaInAsP quantum well laser diodes.<>     

GaInAs metal/semiconductor/metal photodetectors with Fe:InP barrier layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy

A GaInAs metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) photodetector with a dark current less than 1 mu A is described. An Fe-doped InP layer was introduced between the metal and the GaInAs absorbing layer to improve the Schottky barrier height. A breakdown voltage of 30 V was achieved. A DC quantum efficiency of 64% and an impulse response, 1/e fall time of 190 ps were measured for a 20 mu m*100 mu m device. The layer structure is very attractive for integration with high-performance GaInAs/InP FETs.<>     

Widely tunable Y-coupled cavity integrated interferometric injection laser

A novel tunable single mode light source has been developed in the InGaAsP/InP material system. The Y-coupled cavity (YCC) type integrated interferometric injection (I/sup 3/) wavelength tunable laser operates in the 1300 nm wavelength region with a sidemode suppression of about 20 dB. By adjusting the currents through the four all active sections of this YCC-I/sup 3/-laser, a total tuning range of more than 14 nm and continuous tuning of 1.15 nm was obtained from non-optimised first devices.<>     

Easily manufactured high-speed back-illuminated GaInAs/InP p-i-n photodiode

A back-illuminated planar GaInAs/InP p-i-n photodiode has been fabricated with a simple fabrication process to obtain a high-speed detector. The photodiode has a capacitance as low as 54 fF, a dark current of about 3 pA, and a quantum efficiency of 74% at a 1.55- mu m wavelength. A cutoff frequency of 31 GHz was obtained when the photocurrent was about 500 mu A and the bias voltage was -10 V.<>     

Quantum confined Stark effect in GaInAs/InP single quantum wellsgrown by low pressure MOVPE

Reports the first measurements of the quantum confined Stark effect in single GaInAs/InP quantum wells using photocurrent spectra from a single 80 Å well. Well resolved excitonic features are observed for values of electric field up to 3×10⁵ V/cm, whose field dependent shift and peak height are in excellent agreement with the predictions of an effective mass calculation, thus demonstrating that there are no intrinsic factors limiting the effect in the GaInAs/InP material system     

Gain and the threshold of three-dimensional quantum-box lasers

Gain and threshold current density are analyzed for quantum-box lasers where electrons are confined in quantum well three-dimensionally, based on the density-matrix theory of semiconductor lasers with relaxation broadening. The electronic dipole moment and its polarization dependence are first analyzed, and it is shown that the gain becomes maximum when the electric field of light is parallel to the longest side of the quantum box. Calculated gain is about 10 times that of bulk crystal for 100 Å × 100 Å × 100 Å GaAs/Ga0.8Al0.2As quantum box, and 15 times for Ga0.47In0.53As/InP quantum box with the same size, respectively. The threshold current density are 45 A/cm²and 62 A/cm²for GRINSCH GaAs/(Ga0.8Al0.2As-Ga0.4Al0.6As) and Ga0.47In0.53As/(Ga0.28In0.72As0.6P0.4-InP), respectively, where for the GaInAs/ GaInAsP/InP system the intervalence band absorption and nonradiative recombinations have been assumed to be the same as those obtained for bulk crystals experimentally. These results show the possibility of remarkable reduction in the laser threshold by the quantum-box structures.     

High-efficiency hot-electron transport in GaInAs/InP hot electron transistor grown by OMVPE

Improved characteristics of the GaInAs/InP hot electron transistor (HET) fabricated by organo-metallic vapour phase epitaxy (OMVPE) are reported. The common-emitter current gain was 8 for the base thickness of 40 nm at 77 K. This result shows a promising potential for the heterostructure material system of GaInAs/InP for high-speed ballistic electron devices.<>     

Linewidth enhancement factor for quantum-well lasers

The linewidth enhancement factor ? is calculated for an idealised GaInAs quantum-well laser. Values between 1 and 2 are found for a range of possible lasing energies. Somewhat larger values are expected for GaInAs quantum wells with InP barriers. It is concluded that dramatic reductions in ? are not to be expected for quantum wells.