Efficient and Compact Light-Intensity Modulators for High Frequencies and High Bitrates

Electroabsorption modulators (EAM) based on quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) in multiple-quantum wells (MQW) have been demonstrated to provide high-speed, low drive voltage, and high extinction ratio. They are compact in size and can be monolithically integrated with source lasers. In order to achieve both high speed and low drive-voltage operation, travelling-wave (TW) electrode structures can be used for EAMs. Modulation bandwidths of 100 GHz (-3 dBe) have been accomplished and transmission at 80 Gbit/s with non-return-to-zero (NRZ) code has been demonstrated for InP-based TWEAMs, indicating the possibility of reaching speeds of 100 Gbit/s and beyond. In order to further increase the efficiency and reduce the drive voltage, MQW structures using intersubband (IS) instead of interband (QCSE) absorption are being investigated. Materials systems with large conduction band offset, such as GaN/Al(Ga)N or InGaAs/AlAsSb, are required for IS modulators. Critical for the performance of IS modulators is the linewidth of the absorption peak, hence IS modulators have the potential to outperform interband modulators given that a sufficiently high material quality can be achieved