Violet to deep-ultraviolet InGaN/GaN and GaN/AIGaN quantum structures for UV electroabsorption modulators

In this paper, we present four GaN based polar quantum structures grown on c-plane embedded in p-i-n diode architecture as a part of high-speed electroabsorption modulators for use in optical communication (free-space non-line-of-sight optical links) in the ultraviolet (UV): the first modulator incorporates similar to 4-6 nm thick GaN/AlGaN quantum structures for operation in the deep-UV spectral region and the other three incorporate similar to 2-3 nm thick InGaN/GaN quantum structures tuned for operation in violet to near-UV spectral region. Here, we report on the design, epitaxial growth, fabrication, and characterization of these quantum electroabsorption modulators. In reverse bias, these devices exhibit a strong electroabsorption (optical absorption coefficient change in the range of 5500-13 000 cm(-1) with electric field swings of 40-75 V/mu m) at their specific operating wavelengths. In this work, we show that these quantum electroabsorption structures hold great promise for future applications in ultraviolet optoelectronics technology such as external modulation and data coding in secure non-line-of-sight communication systems. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.