Quadratic electro-optic light modulation in a GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum well heterostructure near the excitonic gap

Abstract

The electro-optic effect has been investigated in a GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum well waveguide structure 50 meV from the excitonic transition. We extract r41=−1.6×10−10 cm/V and (R11−R12)=6×10−16 cm2/V2, nonlinear optical characteristics that differ from homogeneous GaAs layers. This (R11−R12) value is similar in magnitude but opposite in sign to that found in InGaAsP 130 meV from the band gap.