Optimization of quantum well materials and structures for excitonic electroabsorption effects

Abstract

A method to enhance excitonic electroabsorption effects in semiconductor quantum well structures is presented, in which the well thickness and the band gap of the quantum well materials are optimized so that the figure of merit for electroabsorption is maximized. Application of this method to InGaAsP/InP and InGaAlAs/InAlAs quantum well structures enhances this figure of merit by 60 and 16 times, respectively, as compared with that of conventional InGaAs/InP and InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well structures.