Electroabsorption optical modulator
| DWPI Title: Electro absorption modulator for modulating intensity of light beam, has path runs from optical input of electro absorption modulator to optical output of electro absorption modulator |
| Abstract: An electroabsorption modulator incorporates waveguiding regions along the length of the modulator that include quantum wells where at least two of the regions have quantum wells with different bandgaps. In one embodiment of the invention, the regions are arranged such that the quantum wells have bandgaps with decreasing bandgap energy along the length of the modulator from the modulator's input to its output. The bandgap energy of the quantum wells may be decreased in discrete steps or continuously. Advantageously, such an arrangement better distributes the optical absorption as well as the carrier density along the length of the modulator. Further advantageously, the modulator may handle increased optical power as compared with prior art modulators of similar dimensions, which allows for improved link gain when the optical modulator is used in an analog optical communication link. |
| Use: Electro absorption modulator for modulating the intensity of a light beam e.g. a laser beam in optical communication, display and mode locking of laser. |
| Advantage: Improved link gain is allowed. Lower variance of the distribution of generated electron-hole pairs is achieved. Modulator capacitance is reduced and modulation bandwidth is increased. |
| Novelty: The modulator (101) has several regions (103) which consists of band gaps that are different from each other. Several regions are arranged such that the regions have decreasing band gap energy along the absorption path of the electro absorption modulator. The path runs from an optical input of the electro absorption modulator to an optical output of the electro absorption modulator. The band gap of several regions is created by a set of quantum wells. |
| Filed: 4/11/2016 |
| Application Number: US15095516A |
| Tech ID: SD 13615.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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