High-performance GaAs/AlGaAs optical phase modulators for microwave/photonic integrated circuits

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:10121865

Hietala, V M; Kravitz, S H; Armendariz, M G; Vawter, G A; Carson, R F ^[1]; Leibenguth, R E ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. AT and T Bell Labs., Breinigsville, PA (United States)

High-speed high-performance optical phase modulators are being developed for use in a coherent Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) technology. These phase modulators are the critical component of a PIC program at Sandia National Laboratories targeted for microwave/millimeter-wave signal processing and control including phased-array antenna control. The primary design goals for these modulators are amenability for integration into PICs, high ``figure of merit`` (FOM -- phase shift per unit length-voltage), and large bandwidths allowing for operation at millimeter wave frequencies. Depletion-edge-translation optical phase modulators (GaAs/AlGaAs based) have been selected as the device technology of choice due to their high FOM (>60{degree}/V{center_dot}mm @ 1.3 {mu}m). These modulators unfortunately suffer from a large terminal capacitance which greatly limits speed. To overcome this problem, a distributed electrode design based on the use of slow-wave coplanar strips has been developed. Device design and measurements are presented in this paper.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 10121865
• Report Number(s): SAND--93-1590C; CONF-940142--7; ON: DE94006361; BR: GB0103012
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360606
42 ENGINEERING
426000
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
COMPONENTS
ELECTRON DEVICES AND CIRCUITS
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
ELECTRO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
PHOTOCONDUCTORS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS