- InGaAs/InP MULTIPLE QUANTUM WELLS FOR WAVEGUIDE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

A computer code NWG_56 has been written to numerically analyse the general n—layer slab optical waveguide with complex refractive indices by the zero matrix element method. The program has been used to analyse, the propagation characteristics of a number of important structures for integrated optics, for example metal—clad, "leaky" and very stratified multiple quantum well waveguides. Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition InGaAs/InP multiple quantum well" rib waveguides and InP overgrowth planarized rib waveguides (well widths of 6—20 X) have been fabricated and tested at A=1.3 /an with the best waveguides exhibiting losses of ~ 1 dB/cm. Preliminary results indicate that InP overgrowth does not degrade the loss. The multiple quantum well material was characterized by room and low temperature photoluminescence, bulk spectral transmission measurements and polarized in—waveguide loss studies. Some of the samples suffer from non—uniformity in the peak spectral photoluminescence across the wafer and one to two monolayer fluctuations in the quantum well width which typically prevents low loss guiding for both TE and TM polarizations at A=1.3 /on.