Monolithically integrated wavelength converters using a dual quantum well integration platform

Next generation networks using wavelength division multiplexing will benefit from the increased functionality of advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICS). Of particular importance are functions such as wavelength provisioning, add-drop multiplexing and packet switching that require the use of fast, dynamic wavelength conversion to reduce blocking probabilities and provide wavelength management in high traffic WDM networks.; Recently, there has been much attention on the development of a small footprint device that can perform dynamic wavelength management. One of the most attractive candidates is a monolithically integrated device fabricated with simple, wafer scale processing steps on a common materials platform that incorporates an on-chip widely tunable laser and eliminates the need for optical filtering. Such a device reduces the number of fiber interfaces between discrete components, improves noise performance, and ultimately increases system performance.; Within the umbrella of these monolithically integrated widely tunable wavelength converters, there exists a class of devices where photocurrent from a photodetector is used to change the electric field across the depletion region in a reverse biased modulator. With this approach, switching speeds are not limited by carrier modulation effects such as carrier lifetime, and extremely high modulation bandwidth products are possible.; Prior to this work, results for field modulated devices have not been able to incorporate on chip tunable lasers, have required complicated growth and/or regrowth processing steps, and have not demonstrated input to output optical gain.; The primary advancement in this dissertation is the demonstration of a field based, monolithically integrated wavelength converter with an on-chip tunable laser along with optically pre-amplified receivers. The device is capable of providing facet to facet optical gain (10 dB), operating at high data rates (10 Gb/s) with large extinction ratios (10 dB), and achieving digital system power penalties of less than 1 dB over a wide operating wavelength range (32 nm). Furthermore, as a result of a newly designed dual quantum well integration platform, the device requires only simple fabrication procedures and incorporates only a single bulk InP regrowth.