High-speed, dual-function vertical cavity multiple quantum well modulators and photodetectors for optical interconnects

Hong Liu; Chien-Chung Lin; James S. Harris Jr.

doi:10.1117/1.1383562

1 July 2001 High-speed, dual-function vertical cavity multiple quantum well modulators and photodetectors for optical interconnects

Hong Liu, Chien-Chung Lin, James S. Harris Jr.

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 40, Issue 7, (July 2001). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.1383562

A vertical cavity multiple quantum well (MQW) modulator, which offers high contrast ratio, low insertion loss, low power consumption, low jitter and chirp, and easy two-dimensional integration with silicon electronics, is one of the essential components for dense optical interconnects. The devices we have investigated consist of quantum wells in a Fabry-Perot cavity configured as p-i-n diode. The absorptive characteristics of the MQW region can be modified through field-induced absorption change known as quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE), which translate to the modulation in the device reflectivity. Modulators can also perform the dual function of a high-efficiency photodetector at the receiver end by using a different electronic control circuit. This has the advantage of doubling the optical I/O of a photonic layer and reducing power losses. In this paper, the high-speed performance of modulators and photodetectors will be presented. We use 26 pairs of 75-Å GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. The modulators have a high contrast ratio of 11 dB, small driving voltage of 3.5 V, and f3dB bandwidth greater than 18 GHz. If the device is used as a high-speed photodetector, it has a quantum efficiency of 95% and f3dB bandwidth greater than 10 GHz. Results of devices of different sizes, with different bias voltages and termination resistors, are presented.

©(2001) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Citation Download Citation

Hong Liu, Chien-Chung Lin, and James S. Harris Jr. "High-speed, dual-function vertical cavity multiple quantum well modulators and photodetectors for optical interconnects," Optical Engineering 40(7), (1 July 2001). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.1383562

Published: 1 July 2001

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available