Electrooptically wavelength-tunable resonant cavity optoelectronic device for high-speed data transfer
First Claim
1. A semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising:
- a) at least two resonant cavities comprising a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
b) at least one modulator region which electrooptically tunes a resonant wavelength of the second cavity with respect to a resonant wavelength of the first cavity;
c) at least one light generating element comprising a gain region, which generates light when a forward bias is applied to the gain region; and
d) at least three electric contacts which apply bias to the modulator region and to the light generating element independently;
wherein tuning varies an optical transmittance of the device, such that an output optical power is varied; and
wherein the modulator region tunes the resonant wavelength of the second cavity using an effect selected from the group consisting of;
i) a quantum confined Stark effect by applying a reverse bias to tune a resonant component of a refractive index of the modulator region; and
ii) an exciton bleaching effect by injection of nonequilibrium carriers by applying a forward bias;
wherein the device modulates a transmittance of light through a filter comprising at least two coupled cavities by modulating a resonance of at least one of the coupled cavities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device contains at least one wavelength-tunable element controlled by an applied voltage and at least two resonant cavities, where the resonant wavelength of the tunable element is preferably elecrooptically tuned using the quantum confined Stark effect around the resonant wavelength of the other cavity or cavities, resulting in a modulated transmittance of the system. A light-emitting medium is preferably introduced into one of the cavities, permitting the optoelectronic device to work as an intensity-modulated light-emitting diode or diode laser by applying an injection current. The device preferably contains at least three electric contacts to apply a forward or a reverse bias and may operate as a vertical cavity surface emitting light-emitter or modulator or as a tilted cavity light emitter or modulator. Adding a few modulator sections enables applications in semiconductor optical amplifiers, frequency converters or lock-in optical amplifiers.
47 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising:
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a) at least two resonant cavities comprising a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity; b) at least one modulator region which electrooptically tunes a resonant wavelength of the second cavity with respect to a resonant wavelength of the first cavity; c) at least one light generating element comprising a gain region, which generates light when a forward bias is applied to the gain region; and d) at least three electric contacts which apply bias to the modulator region and to the light generating element independently; wherein tuning varies an optical transmittance of the device, such that an output optical power is varied; and wherein the modulator region tunes the resonant wavelength of the second cavity using an effect selected from the group consisting of; i) a quantum confined Stark effect by applying a reverse bias to tune a resonant component of a refractive index of the modulator region; and ii) an exciton bleaching effect by injection of nonequilibrium carriers by applying a forward bias; wherein the device modulates a transmittance of light through a filter comprising at least two coupled cavities by modulating a resonance of at least one of the coupled cavities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising:
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a) at least two resonant cavities comprising a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity; b) at least one modulator region which electrooptically tunes a resonant wavelength of the second cavity with respect to a resonant wavelength of the first cavity; c) at least one light generating element comprising a gain region, which generates light when a forward bias is applied to the gain region; and d) at least three electric contacts which apply bias to the modulator region and to the light generating element independently; wherein tuning varies an optical transmittance of the device, such that an output optical power is varied; and wherein the modulator region tunes the resonant wavelength of the second cavity using an effect selected from the group consisting of; i) a quantum confined Stark effect by applying a reverse bias to tune a resonant component of a refractive index of the modulator region; and ii) an exciton bleaching effect by injection of nonequilibrium carriers by applying a forward bias; wherein at least one of the resonant cavities operates as a filter element having a spectral band of high transmission; wherein when the optoelectronic device is in a resonant state, the optoelectronic device generates light at a first wavelength, which corresponds to a resonant wavelength of the filter element; and wherein, when the optoelectronic device is in a non-resonant state, the optoelectronic device generates laser light at a second wavelength, which is a wavelength other than the resonant wavelength of the filter element. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of controlling an intensity of laser light leaving a semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
- at least one modulator region;
at least one light generating element comprising a gain region, which generates light when a forward bias is applied to the gain region; and
at least three electric contacts, comprising the steps of;a) applying a bias to the modulator region and to the light generating element independently with the electric contacts; b) electrooptically tuning a resonant wavelength of the second cavity with respect to a resonant wavelength of the first cavity using the modulator region; c) tuning the resonant wavelength of the second cavity using the modulator region and an effect selected from the group consisting of; i) a quantum confined Stark effect by applying a reverse bias to tune a resonant component of a refractive index of the modulator region; and ii) an exciton bleaching effect by injection of nonequilibrium carriers by applying a forward bias; d) varying an optical transmittance of the device, such that an output optical power is varied; and operating at least one of the resonant cavities as a filter element having a spectral band of high transmission; wherein when the optoelectronic device is in a resonant state, the optoelectronic device generates light at a first wavelength, which corresponds to a resonant wavelength of the filter element; and wherein, when the optoelectronic device is in a non-resonant state, the optoelectronic device generates laser light at a second wavelength, which is a wavelength other than the resonant wavelength of the filter element. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
- at least one modulator region;
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20. A method of controlling an intensity of laser light leaving a semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising a first resonant cavity and a second resonant cavity;
- at least one modulator region;
at least one light generating element comprising a gain region, which generates light when a forward bias is applied to the gain region; and
at least three electric contacts, comprising the steps of;a) applying a bias to the modulator region and to the light generating element independently with the electric contacts; b) electrooptically tuning a resonant wavelength of the second cavity with respect to a resonant wavelength of the first cavity using the modulator region; c) tuning the resonant wavelength of the second cavity using the modulator region and an effect selected from the group consisting of; i) a quantum confined Stark effect by applying a reverse bias to tune a resonant component of a refractive index of the modulator region; and ii) an exciton bleaching effect by injection of nonequilibrium carriers by applying a forward bias; d) varying an optical transmittance of the device, such that an output optical power is varied; wherein the device modulates a transmittance of light through a filter comprising at least two coupled cavities by modulating a resonance of at least one of the coupled cavities.
- at least one modulator region;
Specification