Photorefractive semiconductor single-mode waveguides grown by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Semiconductor physics
• Photorefractive materials

Background:

• The photorefractive effect is crucial for optical signal processing.
• Indium Phosphide (InP) doped with Iron (Fe) is a promising material for optoelectronic applications.
• Semiconductor waveguides enable efficient light-matter interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the photorefractive effect in novel semiconductor single-mode waveguides.
• To report the initial experimental results of these fabricated structures.
• To analyze the gain performance under various conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of semiconductor single-mode waveguides on an InP:Fe substrate.
• Two-wave mixing experiments (contradirectional and codirectional).
• Measurement of optical gain at a 1.55-microm wavelength with an applied electric field.

Main Results:

• Observed a gain of 0.53 cm⁻¹ in contradirectional two-wave mixing.
• Measured a gain of 4 cm⁻¹ in codirectional two-wave mixing with a 5.7 kV/cm applied field.
• Investigated the dependence of gain on light intensity and applied electric field.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated InP:Fe waveguides exhibit significant photorefractive gain.
• Codirectional two-wave mixing shows higher gain compared to contradirectional mixing.
• The results highlight the potential of these waveguides for optoelectronic applications.