Resonant nonlinear optical properties of GaAs-GaAlAs single quantum-well waveguide and an integrated asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer

Author

Al-hemyari, K. ; Ironside, C.N. ; Aitchison, J.S.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electron. & Electr. Eng., Glasgow Univ., UK

Volume

28

Issue

10

fYear

1992

fDate

10/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2051

Lastpage

2056

Abstract

The resonant refractive and absorptive optical nonlinearities of a GaAs-AlGaAs single quantum-well waveguide are characterized. The recovery time of the absorptive nonlinearity is measured as 125 ps. All-optical operation of an integrated asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer is demonstrated, using intense ~50-ps pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The device operation is detrimentally affected by thermally induced changes in the refractive index even in a 50 ps timescale

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; integrated optics; light interferometry; nonlinear optics; optical waveguides; refractive index; semiconductor quantum wells; 125 ps; 50 ps; Al₂O₃:Ti; GaAs-AlGaAs single quantum well waveguide; III-V semiconductors; absorptive optical nonlinearities; all optical operation; integrated asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer; mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser; recovery time; refractive index; resonant nonlinear optical properties; resonant refractive optical nonlinearities; thermally induced changes; Nonlinear optical devices; Nonlinear optics; Optical interferometry; Optical pulses; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Quantum well lasers; Resonance; Time measurement;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.159515

Filename

159515