Fabry-Perot electroabsorption modulators for high-speed free-space optical communication

• Retroreflective modulators are key components in free-space optical communication systems between mobile platforms and users. Wide-aperture surface-normal electroabsorption modulators based on GaAs-AlGaAs quantum wells embedded in an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity ire designed and fabricated with a high yield. process on 10-cm wafers. It is shown that the modulator yield and its speed are improved significantly by a pixellated approach in which monolithic modulators are divided into 4-64 pixels. The fabricated 1.5 x 1.5 cm(2) devices exhibit contrast ratios of 8 dB at a driving voltage of 8 V and a modulation frequency higher than 10 MHz, which provides low noise and fast data transmission for long distance free-space optical communication.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Elektroteknik och elektronik -- Telekommunikation (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering -- Telecommunications (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Electroabsorption modulator; Free-space optical communication; GaAs-AlGaAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs); High yield; Large aperture

Photonics

Fotonik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)