Electroabsorption modulation at 1.3 μm on GaAs substrates using a step-graded low temperature grown InAlAs buffer

We have achieved quantum confined Stark effects (QCSE) on In/sub 0.38/Ga/sub 0.62/As-In/sub 0.38/Al/sub 0.62/As multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structures, operating at 1.3 μm grown on GaAs substrates. A quantum confined Stark shift of the exciton absorption peak of 47 meV was obtained with an applied electric field of 190 KV/cm, measured on surface normal PIN diodes. The structure is grown by MBE on a novel three-stage, compositionally step graded, In/sub x/Al/sub 1-x/As buffer, doped with Si to 5/spl middot/10/sup 17//cm³, on an n-type GaAs substrate. The total thickness of the buffer is 0.3-0.6 mm, which is considerably smaller than that of linearly graded buffer layers. This structure can be used in both waveguide modulators and surface normal F-P type modulators on GaAs substrates.