We have demonstrated efficient intersubband electroabsorption in InGaAs/InAlGaAs/InAlAs step quantum wells grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). An absorption modulation of 6 dB at λ=6.0μm due to Stark shift of the IS absorption was achieved at a low voltage swing of ±0.5 V in a multipass waveguide structure. Based on the experimental results it is estimated that an electroabsorption modulator with a low peak-to-peak voltage of Vpp=0.9 V can yield a modulation speed of f3dB≈120 GHz with the present material by using a strongly confining surface plasmon waveguide of 30 μm length.
@article{arxiv.0710.5851,
title = {Realization of efficient electroabsorption using intersubband transitions in step quantum wells},
author = {P. Holmström and P. Jänes and U. Ekenberg and L. Thylén},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0710.5851},
year = {2007}
}