Slow wave effect of 2-D photonic crystal coupled cavity array

We designed a two-dimensional coupled photonic crystal resonator array with hexagonal lattice. The calculation by plane-wave-expansion method shows that the dispersion curve of coupled cavity modes in the bandgap are much flattened in all directions in the reciprocal space. We simulated the transmission spectra of transverse electric (TE) wave along the Gamma K direction. Compared with the PC single cavity structure, the transmission ratio of the coupled cavity array increases more than three orders of magnitude, while the group velocity decreases to below 1/10, reaching 0.007c. The slow wave effect has potential application in the field of miniaturized tunable optical delay components and low-threshold photonic crystal lasers.

Hyperfine spectral structure of semiconductor lasers

In this paper, we propose an interference technique that can provide a quantitative and ultrafine-resolution spectral analysis because the optical heterodyning is performed at nonzero frequency and interfering waves propagate in optical fiber. The spectrum of a laser consists of a large number of wave trains. Our study is focused on the features of wave trains. We demonstrate that wave trains emitting simultaneously have random frequency spacings, and the probability of occurrence of two or more joint wave trains with the same frequency is high. The estimated linewidth of the wave train is narrower than 1 mHz, corresponding to a wavelength range of 10(-23) m.

Design of quantum cascade microcavity lasers based on Q factor versus etching depth

The choice of the etching depth for semiconductor microcavities is a compromise between a high Q factor and a difficult technique in a practical fabricating process. In this paper, the influences of the etching depth on mode Q factors for mid-infrared quantum cascade microcylinder and microsquare lasers around 4.8 and 7.8 mu m are simulated by three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) techniques. For the microcylinder and the microsquare resonators, the mode Q factors of the whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) increase exponentially and linearly with the increase in the etching depth, respectively Furthermore, the mode Q factors of some higher order transverse WGMs may be larger than that of the fundamental transverse WGM in 3D microsquares. Based on the field distribution of the vertical multilayer slab waveguide and the mode Q factors versus the etching depth, the necessary etching depth is chosen at the position where the field amplitude is 1% of the peak value of the slab waveguide. In addition, the influences of sidewall roughness on the mode Q factors are simulated for microsquare resonators by 2D FDTD simulation. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America

Indium-Induced Effect on Polarized Electroluminescence from InGaN/GaN MQWs Light Emitting Diodes

Polarization-resolved edge-emitting electroluminescence (EL) studies of InGaN/GaN MQWs of wavelengths from near-UV (390 nm) to blue (468 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are performed. Although the TE mode is dominant in all the samples of InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs, an obvious difference of light polarization properties is found in the InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs with different wavelengths. The polarization degree decreases from 52.4% to 26.9% when light wavelength increases. Analyses of band structures of InGaN/GaN quantum wells and luminescence properties of quantum dots imply that quantum-dot-like behavior is the dominant reason for the low luminescence polarization degree of blue LEDs, and the high luminescence polarization degree of UV LEDs mainly comes from QW confinement and the strain effect. Therefore, indium induced carrier confinement (quantum-dot-like behavior) might play a major role in the polarization degree change of InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs from near violet to blue.

Confinement factor and absorption loss of AlInGaN based laser diodes emitting from ultraviolet to green

Confinement factor and absorption loss of AlInGaN based multiquantum well laser diodes (LDs) were investigated by numerical simulation based on a two-dimensional waveguide model. The simulation results indicate that an increased ridge height of the waveguide structure can enhance the lateral optical confinement and reduce the threshold current. For 405 nm violet LDs, the effects of p-AlGaN cladding layer composition and thickness on confinement factor and absorption loss were analyzed. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation analysis. Compared to violet LD, the confinement factors of 450 nm blue LD and 530 nm green LD were much lower. Using InGaN as waveguide layers that has higher refractive index than GaN will effectively enhance the optical confinement for blue and green LDs. The LDs based on nonpolar substrate allow for thick well layers and will increase the confinement factor several times. Furthermore, the confinement factor is less sensitive to alloys composition of waveguide and cladding layers, being an advantage especially important for ultraviolet and green LDs.

Dynamic P-I and P-V Curves for Semiconductor Lasers and Modulators

In this paper, we propose the dynamic P-V curve for modulator and P-I curve for laser diode, and present a simple approach to deriving the curves from the small-signal frequency responses measured using a microwave network analyzer. The linear response range, modulation efficiency, optimal driving conditions at different frequency can, therefore, be determined. It is demonstrated that the large-signal performance of electro-absorption (EA) modulator and the directly modulated semiconductor lasers can be predicted from the dynamic curved surface. Experiments show a good agreement between the evaluated characteristics and the measured large-signal performance.

A wide-narrow well design for understanding the efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

The electroluminescence efficiency at room temperature and low temperature (15 K) in a wide-narrow-well InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode with a narrow last well (1.5 nm) and a narrow next-to-last barrier (5 nm) is investigated to study the efficiency droop phenomenon. A reduced droop in the wide wells and a reduced droop at low temperatures reveals that inferior hole transportation ability induced Auger recombination is the root for the droop at high excitation levels.

Cavity-enhanced photoluminescence of SiGe/Si multiquantum wells grown on silicon-on-insulator substrate

Sharp and strong room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the Si0.59Ge0.41/Si multiquantum wells grown on the silicon-on-insulator substrate is investigated. The cavity formed by the mirrors at the surface and the buried SiO2 interface enhances the PL emission and has a wavelength-selective effect on the luminescence. The peak position is consistent with the simulation result and independent of the exciting power, which indicates a strong cavity effect on the room-temperature PL. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Detailed model and investigation of gain saturation and carrier spatial hole burning for a semiconductor optical amplifier with gain clamping by a vertical laser field

A detailed model for semiconductor linear optical amplifiers (LOAs) with gain clamping by a vertical laser field is presented, which accounts the carrier and photon density distribution in the longitudinal direction as well as the facet reflectivity. The photon iterative method is used in the simulation with output amplified spontaneous emission spectrum in the wide band as iterative variables. The gain saturation behaviors and the noise figure are numerically simulated, and the variation of longitudinal carrier density with the input power is presented which is associated with the ON-OFF state of the vertical lasers. The results show that the LOA can have a gain spectrum clamped in a wide wavelength range and have almost the same value of noise figure as that of conventional semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). Numerical results also show that an LOA can have a noise figure about 2 dB less than that of the SOA gain clamped by a distributed Bragg reflector laser.

Long-wavelength SiGe/Si MQW resonant-cavity-enhanced photodiodes (RCE-PD)

Si1-xGex/Si optoelectronic devices are promising for the monolithic integration with silicon-based microelectronics. SiGe/Si MQW RCE-PD (Resonant-Cavity-Enhanced photodiodes) with different structures were investigated in this work. Design and fabrication of top- and bottom-incident RCE-PD, such as growth of SiGe MQW (Multiple Quantum Wells) on Si and SOI (Si on insulator) wafers, bonding between SiGe epitaxial wafer and SOR (Surface Optical Reflector) consisting Of SiO2/Si DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) films on Si, and performances of RCE-PD, were presented. The responsivity of 44mA/W at 1.314 mum and the FWHM of 6nm were obtained at bias of 10V. The highest external quantum efficiency measured in the investigation is 4.2%.

1.55 mu m GaInNAs resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetector grown on GaAs

We report the design, growth, fabrication, and characterization of a GaAs-based resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) GaInNAs photodetector operating at 1.55 mu m. The structure of the device was designed using a transfer-matrix method (TMM). By optimizing the molecular-beam epitaxy growth conditions, six GaInNAs quantum wells were used as the absorption layers. Twenty-five (25)- and 9-pair GaAs/AlAs-distributed Bragg reflectors were grown as the bottom and top mirrors. At 1.55 mu m, a quantum efficiency of 33% with a full width at half maximum of 10 nm was obtained. The dark current density was 3x10(-7) A/cm(2) at a bias of 0 V and 4.3x10(-5) A/cm(2) at a reverse bias of 5 V. The primary time response measurement shows that the device has a rise time of less than 800 ps. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Enhancement of the far-field output power and the properties of the very-small-aperture lasers

We report on a VSAL structure fabricated by a 650 nm edge emitting laser diode with an Au-coated facet and an aperture size of 250 x 500 nm. The far field output power can maintain at 1 mW and the power density is 7.5 mW/mu m(2). Some properties of the VSAL including the threshold current change, the red-shift of the spectral position, and the strong relative-intensity-noise are presented. The physical mechanisms responsible for these phenomena are also discussed, which may contribute to the understanding and application of the potential device for near-field optics.

Surface-enhanced resonant Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) of single-walled carbon nanotubes absorbed on the Ag-coated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) surface

In this paper, we developed a new kind of substrate, the silver-coated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), to investigate the characters of surface-enhanced resonant Raman scattering (SERRS) of the dilute single-walled carbon nanotubes. Homogeneous Ag-coated AAO substrate was obtained by decomposing the AgNO3 on the surface of AAO. single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were directly grown onto this substrate through floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method (CVD). SERRS of SWNTs was carried out using several different wavelength lasers. The bands coming from metallic SWNTs were significantly enhanced. The two SERRS mechanisms, the "electromagnetic" and "chemical" mechanism, were mainly responsible for the experiment results. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gain measurement and anomalous decrease of peak gain at long wavelength for InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers

Mode gain spectrum is measured by the Fourier series expansion method for InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) lasers with seven stacks of QDs at different injection currents. Gain spectra with distinctive peaks are observed at the short and long wavelengths of about 1210 nm and 1300 nm. For a QD laser with the cavity length of 1060 mu m, the peak gain of the long wavelength first increases slowly or even decreases with the injection current as the peak gain of the short wavelength increases quickly, and finally increases quickly before approaching the saturated values as the injection current further increases.

Status and trends of short pulse generation using mode-locked lasers based on advanced quantum-dot active media

In this review, the potential of mode-locked lasers based on advanced quantum-dot ( QD) active media to generate short optical pulses is analysed. A comprehensive review of experimental and theoretical work on related aspects is provided, including monolithic-cavity mode-locked QD lasers and external-cavity mode-locked QD lasers, as well as mode-locked solid-state and fibre lasers based on QD semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors. Performance comparisons are made for state-of-the-art experiments. Various methods for improving important characteristics of mode-locked pulses such as pulse duration, repetition rate, pulse power, and timing jitter through optimization of device design parameters or mode-locking methods are addressed. In addition, gain switching and self-pulsation of QD lasers are also briefly reviewed, concluding with the summary and prospects.