The quantum well self-electrooptic effect device: Optoelectronic bistability and oscillation, and self-linearized modulation

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics 1985-09, Vol.21 (9), p.1462-1476
• Main Authors: Miller, D., Chemla, D., Damen, T., Wood, T., Burrus, C., Gossard, A., Wiegmann, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diode lasers; Electric resistance; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Light sources; Low voltage; Nonlinear optics; Optical beams; Optical bistability; Optical feedback; Optical modulation; Optics; Photodiodes; Physics; Quantum mechanics
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/JQE.1985.1072821

We report extended experimental and theoretical results for the quantum well self-electrooptic effect devices. Four modes of operation are demonstrated: 1) optical bistability, 2) electrical bistability, 3) simultaneous optical and electronic self-oscillation, and 4) self-linearized modulation and optical level shifting. All of these can be observed at room-temperature with a CW laser diode as the light source. Bistability can be observed with 18 nW of incident power, or with 30 ns switching time at 1.6 mW with a reciprocal relation between switching power and speed. We also now report bistability with low electrical bias voltages (e.g., 2 V) using a constant current load. Negative resistance self-oscillation is observed with an inductive load; this imposes a self-modulation on the transmitted optical beam. With current bias, self-linearized modulation is obtained, with absorbed optical power linearly proportional to current. This is extended to demonstrate light-by-light modulation and incoherent-to-incoherent conversion using a separate photodiode. The nature of the optoelectronic feedback underlying the operation of the devices is discussed, and the physical mechanisms which give rise to the very low optical switching energy (∼4 fJ/ μm 2 ) are discussed.