Title :
GaAs Fabry-Perot cavity photoconductors: switching with picojoule optical pulses
Author :
Peytavit, Emilien ; Formont, Stephane ; Lampin, Jean-Francois
Author_Institution :
Inst. d´Electron. de Microelectron. et de Nanotechnol., Univ. de Lille1, Villeneuve d´Ascq, France
Abstract :
It is shown that low-temperature-grown GaAs photoconductors using a Fabry-Pérot cavity are very efficient optical switches in comparison with planar photoconductors. A switching efficiency of about 60́ was measured with a pulse energy as low as 1.2 pJ and about 100́ efficiency is achieved with a pulse energy of 14.2 pJ. Efficient optical sampling of microwave signals is now achievable with a low power pulsed laser.
Keywords :
Fabry-Perot resonators; III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; laser cavity resonators; laser mode locking; microwave photonics; optical switches; photoconducting materials; photoconducting switches; GaAs; energy 14.2 pJ; low power pulsed laser; low-temperature-grown Fabry-Perot cavity photoconductors; microwave signals; optical sampling; optical switches; picojoule optical pulses; pulse energy; switching efficiency;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el.2012.3993
