Modelling of low voltage electro-absorption modulators employing coupled quantum wells

Author

Atkinson, David ; Parry, Gareth ; Rivers, A. ; Roberts, J.S.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Univ. Coll., London, UK

fYear

1990

fDate

33037

Firstpage

42491

Lastpage

42493

Abstract

The authors consider the use of coupled quantum wells operating at room temperature to achieve good optical modulation at low voltages, particularly within an asymmetric Fabry-Perot structure. Their performance is modelled by solving Schrodinger´s equation for the one dimensional well and barrier potential for various electric fields using a transfer matrix technique to give electron and hole energy levels and wavefunctions. From these the position and heights of absorption peaks and consequently the absorption spectrum are calculated. The effects of a narrow (less than 50 Å) barrier of Al_0.3Ga_0.7As between two 50 Å wide GaAs wells at room temperature are considered

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Schrodinger equation; aluminium compounds; electro-optical devices; electroabsorption; gallium arsenide; optical modulation; semiconductor device models; semiconductor quantum wells; AlGaAs-GaAs quantum wells; III-V semiconductors; Schrodinger´s equation; absorption peaks; absorption spectrum; asymmetric Fabry-Perot structure; barrier potential; coupled quantum wells; electro-absorption modulators; electron energy levels; hole energy levels; low voltage; modelling; one dimensional well; performance; room temperature; transfer matrix technique; wavefunctions;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

iet

Conference_Titel

Applications of Quantum Wells in Optoelectronics, IEE Colloquium on

Conference_Location

London

Type

conf

Filename

190383