Patent ID: 6100543
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: B82Y,G02F

Abstract:
An electro-absorption type semiconductor optical modulator comprising:an i-type semiconductor layer disposed between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer, the i-type semiconductor layer comprising an optical absorption layer having a quantum well layer;a first electrode in electrical contact with the n-type layer;a second electrode in electrical contact with the p-type layer, wherein the electron affinity of the i-type semiconductor layer constituting said quantum well layer increases toward the p-type layer and the energy of the top of the valence band decreases toward the p-type layerswherein an absorption spectrum of said quantum well layer has an excitonic absorption peak, and a difference in photon energy of a working wavelength with a bias voltage applied on said first and second electrodes and of said excitonic absorption peak with no bias voltage applied thereon is less than 30 meV.