Photonic generation of ultra-wide-band doublet pulse through monolithic integration of tapered directional coupler and quantum well waveguide.

We proposed and demonstrated a novel scheme of photonic ultra-wide-band (UWB) doublet pulse based on monolithic integration of tapered optical-direction coupler (TODC) and multiple-quantum-well (MQW) waveguide. TODC is formed by a top tapered MQW waveguide vertically integrating with an underneath passive waveguide. Through simultaneous field-driven optical index- and absorption- change in MQW, the partial optical coupling in TODC can be used to get a valley-shaped of optical transmission against voltage. Therefore, doublet-enveloped optical pulse can be realized by high-speed and high-efficient conversion of input electrical pulse. By just adjusting bias through MQW, 1530 nm photonic UWB doublet optical pulse with 75-ps pulse width, below -41.3 dBm power, 125% fractional bandwidth, and 7.5 GHz of -10 dB bandwidth has been demonstrated, fitted into FCC requirement (3.1 GHz~10.6 GHz). Doublet-pulse data transmission generated in optical fiber is also performed for further characterization, exhibiting a successful 1.25 Gb/s error-free transmission. It suggests such optoelectronic integration template can be applied for photonic UWB generation in fiber-based communications.

Field-driven all-optical wavelength converter using novel InGaAsP/InAlGaAs quantum wells.

A new type of semiconductor quantum well (QW) for high-speed all optical wavelength converter (AOWC) is proposed and demonstrated in this work. Based on InGaAsP (well)/InGaAlAs (barrier) multiple QW, large electron band offset ratio relative to heavy hole can be attained to shorten sweep rate of photocarrier driven by electric field, realizing high-speed efficient AOWC through cross absorption modulation (XAM). By such QWs, an optical waveguide with high-speed electrode connection is fabricated. A -3dB bandwidth of 38 GHz with 8V bias in time-varying photocurrent and all optical response is observed. The corresponding sweep time is less than 10ps, consistent with calculated tunneling rate of QW and thus confirming high sweep rate through field-driven tunneling processing. All-optical conversion with error-free 40Gb/s data transmission and -11dB of conversion efficiency in system performance is also attained in this device, suggesting that such AOWC has potential for 100Gb/s application.

Novel ultra-wideband (UWB) photonic generation through photodetection and cross-absorption modulation in a single electroabsorption modulator.

We propose and demonstrate, by proof of concept, a novel method of ultra-wide band (UWB) photonic generation using photodetection and cross-absorption modulation (XAM) of multiple quantum wells (MQW) in a single short-terminated electroabsorption modulator (SEAM). As an optical pump pulse excite the MQWs of SEAM waveguide, the probe light pulse with the same polarity can be generated through XAM, simultaneously creating photocurrent pulse propagating along the waveguide. Using the short termination of SEAM accompanied by the delayed microwave line, the photocurrent pulse can be reversed in polarity and re-modulated the waveguide, forming a monocycle UWB optical pulse. An 89 ps cycle of monocycle pulse with 114% fractional bandwidth is obtained, where the electrical power spectrum centered at 4 GHz of frequency ranges from 0.1 GHz to 8 GHz for -10 dB drops. Meanwhile, the generation processing is also confirmed by observing the same cycle of monocycle electrical pulse from the photodetection of SEAM. The whole optical processing is performed inside a compact semiconductor device, suggesting the optoelectronic integration template has a potential for the application of UWB photonic generation.

Novel monolithic integration scheme for high-speed electroabsorption modulators and semiconductor optical amplifiers using cascaded structure.

A new monolithic integration scheme, namely cascaded-integration (CI), for improving high-speed optical modulation is proposed and demonstrated. High-speed electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are taken as the integrated elements of CI. This structure is based on an optical waveguide defined by cascading segmented EAMs with segmented SOAs, while high-impedance transmission lines (HITLs) are used for periodically interconnecting EAMs, forming a distributive optical re-amplification and re-modulation. Therefore, not only the optical modulation can be beneficial from SOA gain, but also high electrical reflection due to EAM low characteristic impedance can be greatly reduced. Two integration schemes, CI and conventional single-section (SS), with same total EAM- and SOA- lengths are fabricated and compared to examine the concept. Same modulation-depth against with EAM bias (up to 5V) as well as SOA injection current (up to 60mA) is found in both structures. In comparison with SS, a < 1dB extra optical-propagation loss in CI is measured due to multi-sections of electrical-isolation regions between EAMs and SOAs, suggesting no significant deterioration in CI on DC optical modulation efficiency. Lower than -12dB of electrical reflection from D.C. to 30GHz is observed in CI, better than -5dB reflection in SS for frequency of above 5GHz. Superior high-speed electrical properties in CI structure can thus lead to higher speed of electrical-to-optical (EO) response, where -3dB bandwidths are >30GHz and 13GHz for CI and SS respectively. Simulation results on electrical and EO response are quite consistent with measurement, confirming that CI can lower the driving power at high-speed regime, while the optical loss is still kept the same level. Taking such distributive advantage (CI) with optical gain, not only higher-speed modulation with high output optical power can be attained, but also the trade-off issue due to impedance mismatch can be released to reduce the driving power of modulator. Such kind of monolithic integration scheme also has potential for the applications of other high-speed optoelectronics devices.

Laterally tapered undercut active waveguide fabricated by simple wet etching method for vertical waveguide directional coupler.

A novel structure, namely a laterally tapered undercut active-waveguide (LTUAWG) for an optical spot-size converter (SSC) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. Using a selectively undercut-etching-active-region (UEAR) on a laterally tapered ridge to define a LTUAWG, a vertical waveguide directional coupler (VWGDC) can be fabricated simply by a wet etching-based technique. The VWGDC comprises a top LTUAWG and a bottom passive waveguide (PWG). An electroabsorption modulator (EAM) is monolithically integrated with a LTUAWG-VWGDC serving as the connecting active waveguide (AWG) and the optical transmission testing device. Through a loss budget analysis on an EAM-integrated VWGDC, an optical mode transfer loss of -1.6 dB is observed between the PWG and the AWG. By comparing the reverse directions of optical excitation, the identical optical transmission relations with bias are observed, further verifying the high efficiency properties in a SSC. Optical misalignment tolerance is employed to test the two transferred optical modes. 1dB misalignment tolerance of +/-2.9 microm (horizontal) and +/-2.2 microm (vertical) is obtained from the PWG, which is better than the value of +/-1.9 microm (horizontal) and +/-1.6 microm (vertical) from the AWG. Far-field angle measurement shows 6.0 degrees (horizontal) 9.3 degrees (vertical) and 11 degrees (horizontal) x 20 degrees (vertical) for the PWG and the AWG, respectively, exhibiting the capability of a mode transformer. All of these measurements are also examined by a 3D beam propagation method (BPM) showing quite consistent results. In this wet etching technique, no regrowth is needed during processing. Furthermore, UEAR processing controlled by in situ monitoring can lead to a simple way for submicron-size processing, showing that a highly reliable processing technique can thus be expected. A low cost of fabrication can also be realized, indicating that this method can be potentially used in optoelectronic integration.