A P-I-i-I-N GaAs/AlGaAs phase modulator with selective phase change only for TE mode is presented. TE-selective phase modulation can be achieved by utilizing the linear electro-optic (LEO) effect, which is polarization-dependent, and limiting contributions from polarization-independent effects. Separate confinement of optical and applied electric fields in the P-I-i-I-N structure and selection of an operating wavelength far from the bandgap enable this operation to be optimized. TE phase shift efficiencies of 4.0 ~ 6.5 degrees/V mm can be achieved with maintaining the ratio of TM to TE phase shift to be less than 10 percent. TE selectivity can be increased at the cost of reduction of phase shift efficiency and vice versa.

Date Published: 29 October 2001
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 4594, Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of Photonic Devices II, (29 October 2001); doi: 10.1117/12.446574

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4594:
Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of Photonic Devices II
Marek Osinski; Soo-Jin Chua; Akira Ishibashi, Editor(s)