Comparison of the limits in performance of multiple quantum well and Franz-Keldysh InGaAs/InP electroabsorption modulators

1 January 1989

journal article
Published by Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in IEE Proceedings J Optoelectronics

Vol. 136 (4) , 205-208
https://doi.org/10.1049/ip-j.1989.0034

Abstract

The use of InGaAs/InP for electro-optical intensity modulation is discussed. In mutiple quantum well (MQW) materials the peak excitonic absorption α_p, imposes a limit on the maximum change in intensity due to electroabsorption. For InGaAs (100 Å)/InP(100 Å), α_p is only 25% of that for GaAs/AlGaAs. This accounts for the observed modulation limit of 1.4 dB/μm, which is significantly lower than the 3.9 dB/μm for GaAs based MQWs. For comparison, we calculated the maximum contrast possible in bulk InGaAs and found it to be 0.7 dB/μm. We conclude that the major benefit of using InGaAs/InP MQWs is associated with their insertion loss and not their contrast ratio.

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