Abstract
We report the successful operation of a semiconductor buried heterojunction electroabsorption modulator. These modulators are good candidates for integration with other devices because: (1) they do not require additional optical elements (e.g. polarization analyzers) and (2) they can be fabricated from the same semiconductor materials and require the same processing techniques as the sources and detectors. Electroabsorption modulators, which utilize the Franz-Keldish effect to enhance absorption of light near the semiconductor bandgap, have previously been fabricated only as planar structures, using AℓyGa1−yAs or GaAs as the waveguiding material for operating wavelengths near 0.9μm.1-3 The present devices on the other hand are buried heterojunctions fabricated from AℓyGa1−yAs1−ySbx/GaAs1−x′Sbx′, which by proper adjustment of the compositions can be tuned to operate throughout the range 0.9μm to z1.2μm.4 The buried heterojunction was chosen over planar configurations because its two dimensional light confinement assures suitability for fiber optic applications, while its small p-n junction area and low capacitance permit operation at high frequencies.
© 1978 Optical Society of America
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