Optical Nonlinearities and Electrooptic Effects in Asymmetric Quantum Structures

9509257里昂该提案提出了构建光信号交换机的新的工作原理和方法。本文提出的器件利用了一种嵌入在平行板金属波导中的非对称半导体量子结构(如阶梯量子阱)。初步工作表明，这些结构可用于构建超快电光器件和全光器件。特别是，计算表明这些结构将支持耦合场(耦合的电脉冲和光脉冲)孤子。拟议工作的目标是研究这些结构的物理特性，利用这些信息改进模型和计算，并基于这些原理制造和测试设备。这项工作将包括研究各种类型的非对称量子结构，超快电脉冲在平行板金属波导上的传播，以及这些电脉冲与通过嵌入在波导中的半导体传输的光脉冲的相互作用。分子束外延(MBE)将被用来生长半导体材料，然后用各种光学和电学探针进行分析。将产生电脉冲，并用超快光脉冲进行测量。在这些新知识的基础上，将设计、制造和测试光开关。***

9509257 Lyon This proposal suggests new operating principles and approaches to constructing switches for optical signals. The devices proposed here utilize an asymmetric semiconductor quantum structure (such as a stepped quantum well) embedded in a parallel plate metallic waveguide. Preliminary work indicates that these structures can be used to construct ultrafast electrooptic and all-optical devices. In particular, calculations have been performed which suggest that these structures will support coupled-field (coupled electrical and optical pulses) solitons. The objectives of the proposed work are to study the physics of these structures, use this information to refine the models and calculations, and to fabricate and test devices based on these principles. The work will involve investigations of various types of asymmetric quantum structures, ultrafast electrical pulse propagation on parallel-plate metallic waveguides, and the interactions of these electrical pulses with optical pulses traveling through the semiconductor embedded within the waveguide. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) will be used to grow the semiconductor materials, which will then be analyzed with various optical and electrical probes. The electrical pulses will be generated and measured with ultrafast optical pulses. Building upon this new knowledge, optical switches will be designed, fabricated, and tested. ***