Tilted valance-band quantum well double heterostructures for single step active and passive optical waveguide device monolithic integration

US5953479A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Weimin Zhou · Rockville, US
• Paul Cooke · Hazlet, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 1998
• Grant date: Sep 14, 1999
• Expiry date: May 7, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/50
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Opto-electronic integrated waveguide devices are provided using a tilted valence band quantum well semiconductor double heterostructure with one growth of the same waveguide material, that operate simply by their normal operating forward bias for active waveguides with optical gain and operating in a reverse or no bias for active waveguide without optical gain or passive waveguides. The optical waveguides comprise a substrate, a bottom cladding layer, a core layer having a quantum well optical waveguiding double heterostructure and a top cladding layer. The quantum well optical waveguiding double heterostructure includes an InGaPAs first barrier layer atop the bottom cladding layer, a quantum well layer constructed of InxGa1.sub.-x-y Al.sub.y As is stacked on top of the first barrier layer which is graded from one side to the other forming a linearly increasing quantum well energy bandgap and an In.sub..52 AlGaAs second barrier layer is stacked on top of said quantum well core layer. The quantum well layer provides a first conduction band offset ratio at a first interface point smaller than a second conduction band offset ratio at a second interface point, as well as a valence band…