Abstract

The physics of carrier escape from quantum wells in an electric field is important for improving the quantum well electroabsorptive devices such as the Self Electrooptic Effect Device (SEED) [1]. The carrier lifetime is important not only because it puts a lower limit on the switching time [2], but also because it affects other properties such as the electroabsorption and the exciton saturation intensity [3]. This latter point in fact proves to be very significant for SEED systems, because these systems tend to run at intensity levels much greater than that required to switch a single device. (Sufficient energy must be passed to the next device in the system to switch it after allowing for the system losses.) At these high power levels, the exciton absorption saturates, which puts an upper limit on the intensity which can be used. We have recently shown how the saturation intensity is strongly affected by the design of the quantum well structure, most likely because of the changes in carrier sweep-out times which accompanied the change in design [3].

© 1991 Optical Society of America