High-speed optical digital transmitter/receiver module operating at 1.3 μm wavelength

Taking benefit of optical fibers' wide bandwidth and low attenuation, research and development were conducted in order to apply fiber optics to public telecommunications' networks mainly for long-distance and large-capacity transmissions. However, application of fiber has rapidly spread toward cornrnunication networks having relatively short transmission distances (within several kilometers) such as local area networks (LAN) and computer networks. Thus, requirements for the fiber optic transmitters and receivers used as electro-optic transducers, such as small-size, low-price, high-reliability and low-supply voltage operations, become stricter than those of the public telecommunication network.     

Investigation of 1.3 μm emission in Nd-doped bismuth-based oxide glasses

Nd₂O₃-doped 43Bi₂O₃–xB₂O₃–(57−x)SiO₂–1.0Nd₂O₃ (x=57, 47, 39, 28.5, 19.5, 10, 0 mol%) bismuth glasses were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method, and the Nd³⁺: ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_13/2 fluorescence properties had been studied in an oxide system Bi₂O₃–B₂O₃–SiO₂. The Judd–Ofelt analysis for Nd³⁺ ions in bismuth boron silicate glasses was also performed on the basis of absorption spectrum, and the transition probabilities, excited-state lifetimes, the fluorescence branching ratios, quantum efficiency and the stimulated emission cross-sections of ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_13/2 transition were calculated and discussed. The stimulated emission cross-sections of 1.3 μm were quite large due to a large refractive index of the host. Although the effective bandwidths decreased with increasing SiO₂ content, quantum efficiencies and stimulated emission cross-sections enhanced largely with increasing SiO₂ content.     

Multi-order diffractive optical elements for achromatic interconnections at 1.30 μm and 1.55 μm

We propose a class of diffractive components allowing free-space optical systems to operate at the two telecommunication wavelengths simultaneously. These are fifth order diffractive components working at the sixth order at 1.30 μm and at the fifth order at 1.55 μm. Simulation results showing the link efficiency between two single-mode fibres as a function of the wavelength are presented. The width of the two transmission windows depends on the architecture of the whole system, which must be designed in accordance with technological realizability.     

Megawatt peak power 8–13 μm CdSe optical parametric generator pumped at 2.8 μm

Infrared pulses, continuously tunable in the 8–13 μm range, and with up to 1 MW peak power, have been achieved using single-stage frequency conversion in a CdSe travelling-wave optical parametric generator, pumped by 100 ps pulses from an actively mode-locked, Q-switched and cavity dumped 2.8 μm Cr,Er:YSGG laser. The external quantum conversion efficiency reached 10%.     

Output properties of 1.57 μm intracavity pumped optical parametric oscillator

A 1.57 μm eye-safe laser is realized by placing a KTP crystal into a diode-end-pumped, acousto-optically (AO) Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser. For the first time, the 1.06 μm pumping laser with a concave–concave cavity is used to lower the threshold of the intracavity-pumped optical parametric oscillator (IPOPO). The pumping threshold and output characteristics of the OPO are analyzed by changing repetition rate of the AO Q-switch and output mirrors with different transmissivity at 1.57 μm. The results show that the pumping threshold will decrease with the lower output transmissivity and the lower repetition rate, but the narrower output pulse width can be obtained with the higher output transmissivity.     

GaN/AlN quantum dot photodetectors at 1.3–1.5 μm

We have demonstrated GaN/AlN quantum dots (QD) photodetectors, relying on intraband absorption and in-plane carrier transport in the wetting layer. The devices operate at room temperature in the wavelength range 1.3–1.5 μm. Samples with 20 periods of Si-doped GaN QD layers, separated by 3 nm-thick AlN barriers, have been grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on an AlN buffer on a c-sapphire substrate. Self-organized dots are formed by the deposition of 5 monolayers of GaN under nitrogen-rich conditions. The dot height is 1.2±0.6 to 1.3±0.6 nm and the dot density is in the range 10¹¹–10¹² cm⁻². Two ohmic contacts were deposited on the sample surface and annealed in order to contact the buried QD layers. The dots exhibit TM polarized absorption linked to the s–p_z transition. The photocurrent at 300 K is slightly blue-shifted with respect to the s–p_z intraband absorption. The responsivity increases exponentially with temperature and reaches a record value of 10 mA/W at 300 K for detectors with interdigitated contacts.     

SiGe (Ge-dot) heterojunction phototransistors for efficient light detection at 1.3–1.55 μm

The aim of this work is to develop a Si/SiGe HBT-type phototransistor with several Ge dot layers incorporated in the collector, in order to obtain improved light detectivity at 1.3–1.55 μm. The MBE grown HBT detectors are of n–p–n type and based on a multilayer structure containing 10 Ge-dot layers (8 ML in each layer, separated by 60 nm Si spacer) in the base-collector junction. The transistors were processed for normal incidence or with waveguide geometry where the light is coupled through the edge of the sample. The measured breakdown voltage, BV_ceo, was about 6 V. Compared to a p–i–n reference photodiode with the same dot layer structure, photoconductivity measurements show that the responsivity is improved by a factor of 60 for normal incidence at 1.3 μm. When the light is coupled through the edge of the device, the detectivity is even further enhanced. The measured photo-responsivity is more than 100 and 5 mA/W at 1.3 and 1.55 μm, respectively.     

Comparative investigation and suitability of various data formats for 10 Gb/s optical soliton transmission links at different chirps

This paper presents the comparative investigation and suitability of various data formats for optical soliton transmission links at 10 Gb/s for different chirps (−0.7 to 0.7). Here the investigations focused on data formats: NRZ, RZ soliton, RZ raised cosine and RZ super Gaussian. The comparative results and suitability of data formats is based on various performance measures such as Q-factor, eye opening, BER and jitter. It has been indicated that RZ super Gaussian yields the highest value of Q (34.08 dB), good eye opening and lowest BER.     

Performance analysis of NRZ, RZ, CRZ and CSRZ data formats in 10 Gb/s optical soliton transmission link under the impact of chirp and TOD

This paper presents the performance analysis of non-return-to-zero (NRZ), return-to-zero (RZ), chirped return-to-zero (CRZ) and carrier suppressed return-to-zero (CSRZ) data formats in optical soliton transmission link under the impact of chirp and third-order dispersion (TOD). The performance of these data formats has been analyzed on the basis of certain performance metrics, viz, bit error rate (BER), Q² (dB), OSNR, eye opening, etc. It has been reported here that the performance of CRZ and CSRZ modulation format is better as compared to NRZ and RZ in a soliton transmission link. Further, CSRZ modulation format has been found to deliver optimum performance on the basis of performance evaluation metrics reported in this paper. In case of NRZ and CSRZ, comparatively narrow power spectrum has been observed. Best eye opening, highest value of Q² (dB) of 18 dB and lowest value of BER of the order of 10⁻¹⁶ has been reported in case of CSRZ among the considered data formats. The results have been obtained by varying noise figure from 3.0 to 9.0. No considerable effect of noise was observed. It was observed that at very narrow and ultra short pulse width, OSNR value suffers heavily and reduced to even negative values in dB, thus inducing a high degree of OSNR power penalty. The results were obtained by varying chirp factor from −0.6 to +0.6. Negative chirp resulted in improved OSNR as compared to positive chirp. RZ data format yielded a broader optical spectrum, comparatively low spectral efficiency and poor OSNR thus it was found that RZ format is not suitable for optical soliton transmission under the impact of chirp and TOD.     

1.5 μm emission from InAs quantum dots with InGaAsSb strain-reducing layer grown on GaAs substrates

InGaAsSb strain-reducing layers (SRLs) are applied to cover InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs substrates. The compressive strain induced in InAs QDs from the GaAs is reduced due to the tensile strain induced by the InGaAsSb SRL, because the lattice constant of InGaAsSb is closer to InAs lattice constant than that of GaAs, resulting in a significant red shift of photoluminescence peaks of the InAs QDs. The emission wavelength from InAs QDs can be controlled by changing the Sb composition of the InGaAsSb SRL. The 1.5 μm band emissions were achieved in the sample with an InGaAsSb SRL whose Sb compositions were above 0.3. The calculation of the electron and the hole wave functions using the transfer matrix method indicates that the electron and the hole were localized around InAs QDs and InGaAsSb SRL.     

Structural properties of 10 μm thick InN grown on sapphire (0001)

The structural properties of a 10 μm thick In-face InN film, grown on Al₂O₃ (0001) by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and high resolution x-ray diffraction. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of threading dislocations of edge, screw and mixed type, and the absence of planar defects. The dislocation density near the InN/sapphire interface was 1.55×10¹⁰ cm⁻², 4.82×10⁸ cm⁻² and 1.69×10⁹ cm⁻² for the edge, screw and mixed dislocation types, respectively. Towards the free surface of InN, the density of edge and mixed type dislocations decreased to 4.35×10⁹ cm⁻² and 1.20×10⁹ cm⁻², respectively, while the density of screw dislocations remained constant. Using x-ray diffraction, dislocations with screw component were found to be 1.2×10⁹ cm⁻², in good agreement with the electron microscopy results. Comparing electron microscopy results with x-ray diffraction ones, it is suggested that pure edge dislocations are neither completely randomly distributed nor completely piled up in grain boundaries within the InN film.     

High‐energy optical parametric oscillator for the 6 μm spectral range based on HgGa2S4 pumped at 1064 nm

The defect chalcopyrite crystal HgGa₂S₄ has been employed in a 1064‐nm pumped optical parametric oscillator to generate <7 ns long idler pulses near 6.3 μm with energies as high as 3 mJ, tunable in a broad spectral range from 4.5 to 9 μm.     

Stimulated four-photon mixing and efficient polychromatic visible light generation in SiO2-based single-mode optical fibers pumped at 1.319 μm

The generation of near-infrared and intense visible light through stimulated multi-wave mixing processes in single-mode silica-based optical fibers pumped by a Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:YAG laser operated at 1.319 μm is described. The experimental results show that intense infrared light around 1.2 μm is produced via selp-hase-matched four-photon mixing at the minimum group velocity dispersion region of pure SiO₂-core and P₂O₅-doped silica fibers. In the visible spectral region, from 580 nm to 600 nm, 20 W peak power 100-ps pulses were generated by pumping single spans of single-mode P₂O₅-doped and undoped SiO₂-core fibers with 1.319-μm laser pulses. The signal light generated in such fibers propagated in the LP₀₂ fiber mode and exhibited a threshold power that depended upon the fiber length and a critical length that was power dependent. Also, it exhibited an asymmetrical spectrum of a few nanometers bandwidth, with a long tail toward high frequencies. For GeO₂-doped silica-based fibers, a multiple-wavelength visible signal propagating in several high-order fiber modes was generated.     

Design and fabrication of ultra broadband infrared antireflection hard coatings on ZnSe in the range from 2 to 16 μm

In conventional infrared multilayer antireflection coatings (MLAR) materials of fluoride and chalcogenide types are used, which are disadvantaged due to their low mechanical strength and poor stability against humidity and environmental impacts. In this paper, we show that high performance ultra broadband and hard infrared multilayer antireflection coatings on ZnSe substrates in the wavelength range from 2 to 16 μm can be designed and fabricated. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) hard coating as a mechanical and environmental protection layer was proposed and deposited onto MLAR surfaces (MLAR + DLC) using a pulsed vacuum arc ion deposition technique. The thickness of the high optical quality DLC can be optimized in the design simulation to achieve a practically best antireflection and surface protection performance. We show that a germanium thin film (15 nm) between the MLAR and DLC surfaces can be used as a transition layer for optical and material match. The average transmission of the fabricated MLAR+DLC surfaces was 93.1% in the wavelength range between 2 and 16 μm. The peak transmission was about 97.6%, close to the simulated values. The durability and stability against mechanical impacts and environmental tests was improved significantly compared with the conventional infrared windows.     

1.3 μm range effectively cylindrical In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As quantum wires grown on (2 2 1)A InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

Vertically coupled quantum wires (QWRs) have been made by alternately stacking nominally 3.6 nm thick In_0.53Ga_0.47As self-organized QWR layers and 1 nm thick In_0.52Al_0.48As barrier layers on (2 2 1)A-oriented InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The surface of In_0.53Ga_0.47As QWR layers was corrugated at an amplitude of 1.1 nm and period of 27 nm, and lateral confinement potential is induced by their thickness modulation. The wavelength of photoluminescence (PL) from the stacked QWRs at 15 K becomes longer from 1220 to 1327 nm with increasing total number of stacked QWR layers, N_SL, from 1 to 9, while PL full-width at half-maximum is reduced from 22 to 8.6 meV. The PL intensity with the polarization parallel to the wire direction, I, is 1.30 times larger than that with the normal polarization, I, when N_SL=1. The PL intensity ratio, I/I, reaches as large as 4 when N_SL=9, indicating successful control of relative strength between vertical confinement and lateral confinement of carriers. The value of I/I obtained for the stacked QWRs with N_SL=9 is the same value as cylindrical QWRs have. The results indicate that effectively cylindrical QWRs with the best uniformity and 1.3 μm range emission were realized by stacking of self-organized QWR layers.     

Effect of buffer gas on the generation of eye-safe 1.54 μm radiation using the stimulated Raman scattering technique in CH4

Experimental results on the generation of 1.54 μm eye-safe radiation in pure CH₄, CH₄:He and CH₄:Ar mixtures pumped by the fundamental of an Nd:YAG laser, using the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) technique, are described. A decrease in the energy conversion efficiency and degradation in the beam quality of S₁ was observed in pure CH₄ at high pump energies. This problem was overcome in CH₄:He and CH₄:Ar mixtures. Compared with the first Stokes (1.54 μm) energy conversion efficiency in pure CH₄, at a pump energy of 126 mJ, an enhancement of 50% in energy conversion efficiency was observed in the CH₄:Ar mixture (60% argon concentration) and as much as 100% in the CH₄:He mixture (60% helium concentration). The use of these buffer gas mixtures improved the spatial beam quality of the Stokes radiation considerably and also resulted in raising the pump threshold for optical breakdown of the Raman gain medium.