High-speed and low-driving-voltage InGaAs/InAlAs multiquantum well optical modulators

Abstract

A study is made of high-speed, large-signal intensity modulation (in the frequency bandwidth of 16 GHz) with a low driving voltage of 2.0 V and a 20 dB extinction ratio. The modulator successfully operates at a long wavelength 1.55 μm with a low insertion loss of 6 dB. The 100 μm long device with 16 GHz bandwidth and 1.5 V 10 dB on/off ratio voltage results in a bandwidth to voltage ratio of 11 GHz/V, which is the highest yet reported for an external intensity modulator.