A diagrammatic method for analysis of GaAs and InP based optoelectronic devices

A modified version of the signal flow graphs method can be applied to reveal the topological structure of physical models describing the operation of optoelectronic devices based on heterostructures comprising A^IIIB^V semiconductor compounds. In particular, this kind of analysis is apt to reveal the presence of closed paths (feedback loops) in the causal make-up of the phenomena underlying function of the devices. The analytical apparatus associated with the diagrams affords a new formulation of criteria for the occurrence of such physical conditions as the bistability or the threshold behaviour. The approach is illustrated on the instances of injection semiconductor laser, nonlinear Fabry-Perot resonator, self-electro-optic effect device and semiconductor laser optical amplifier. Presented at the 1st Czech-Chinese Workshop “Advanced Materials for Optoelectronics”, Prague, Czech Republic, June 13–17, 1998 Support of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (project No. 102/99/0341) is gratefully acknowledged.