Quantum-confined Stark effect quantum-dot optical modulator

摘要

A quantum-confined Stark effect quantum-dot optical modulator (115) includes an interferometer (130) having a beam splitter (135), first and second parallel optical branches (140a,140b) fed by the beam splitter (135) and a beam combiner (145) fed by the first and second parallel optical branches and a laser (110) for feeding a laser beam to the beam splitter. First and second optical phase shifters (150a,150b) are provided in respective ones of the first and second parallel optical branches. Each optical phase shifter includes an intrinsic semiconductor crystalline planar layer and p-type and n-type planar semiconductor layers on opposite faces of the intrinsic semiconductor crystalline planar layer, the intrinsic layer lying in a plane parallel to a direction of propagation of the laser beam in the respective optical branch. The intrinsic layer has plural layers of planar arrays of quantum dots therein. A reverse bias D.C. voltage source (320,325) is connected across the p-type and n-type layers.