High-power performance limitation of an ESQW SEED in an AFP etalon structure

We report the effects of a high power light beam on the performance of a self electro-optic effect device, which employs an extremely shallow quantum well in an asymmetric Fabry-Perot etalon structure. For a continuously incident laser beam having 4 mW power and 7 μm diameter, for example, we observed the change of reflectivity difference from 25% to 13% and the change of contrast ratio from 16 to 5, both of which we attribute to the rise of local temperature induced by laser heating. Experimental measurements and a simplified thermal analysis show that the device degradation by ohmic heating at reverse bias of -5 V is more pronounced than that by the exciton absorption saturation at forward bias.