Efficient Single-Mode GaAs/AlGaAs W Waveguide Phase Modulator with a Low Propagation Loss.

We report a single-mode P-P-p-i-n-N-N GaAs/AlGaAs W waveguide phase modulator with a high phase modulation efficiency and a low propagation loss. The phase modulator with a W-shaped refractive-index profile utilizes a novel epilayer structure to reduce the propagation loss associated with doped layers and to obtain a phase modulation efficiency larger than those of P-i-N double heterostructure modulators. The phase shift and propagation loss were measured with a Fabry-Perot resonance method at 1.31-mum wavelength. A phase modulation efficiency as high as 34.6 degrees /V mm was measured for TE polarized light. Also propagation losses of less than 0.6 dB/cm were achieved. As a result, the W waveguide phase modulator that exhibits a high phase modulation efficiency and a low propagation loss have been experimentally realized for the first time as far as we know.

[1]  V. Sundaram,et al.  Highly efficient separate-confinement PpinN GaAs/AlGaAs waveguide phase modulator , 1989 .

[2]  L. Coldren,et al.  Wavelength dependence of high-performance AlGaAs/GaAs waveguide phase modulators , 1987 .

[3]  M. Renaud,et al.  InP/GaInAsP guided-wave phase modulators based on carrier-induced effects: theory and experiment , 1992 .

[4]  W. Sohler,et al.  Loss in low-finesse Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguide resonators , 1985 .

[5]  Orientation dependence of the phase modulation in a p‐n junction GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs waveguide , 1987 .

[6]  J. P. Harbison,et al.  Low‐loss GaAs/AlGaAs waveguide phase modulator using a W‐shaped index profile , 1988 .

[7]  H. Melchior,et al.  Broadband Y‐branch electro‐optic GaAs waveguide interferometer for 1.3 μm , 1985 .

[8]  O. Mitomi,et al.  High-speed electrooptic phase modulators using InGaAs/InAlAs multiple quantum well waveguides , 1989, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[9]  Jérôme Faist,et al.  Phase modulation in GaAs/AlGaAs double heterostructures. I - Theory. II - Experiment , 1990 .

[10]  Uziel Koren,et al.  InGaAs/InP multiple quantum well waveguide phase modulator , 1987 .

[11]  Finite-element analysis of valence band structure and optical properties of quantum-wire arrays on vicinal substrates , 1995 .

[12]  Ramu V. Ramaswamy,et al.  Analysis and design of high-speed high-efficiency GaAs-AlGaAs double-heterostructure waveguide phase modulator , 1991 .

[13]  S. S. Choi,et al.  Single-mode GaAs/AIGaAs W waveguides with a low propagation loss. , 1996, Applied optics.

[14]  L. Coldren,et al.  Analysis of depletion edge translation lightwave modulators , 1988 .

[15]  Shih-Yuan Wang,et al.  GaAs PIN electro-optic travelling-wave modulator at 1.3 μm , 1986 .