量子阱光电子开关器件(二)

QUANTUM WELL OPTOELECTRONIC SWITCHING DEVICES

量子阱半导体器件是一种基于量子电子学原理的新型光电子器件。它具有体积小、速度快、功耗低等优点,并且由于它能够与逻辑电路元件混合集成,在解决高复杂度集成电路的高速互连方面具有巨大的实际应用价值。基于这一原理实现的光调制器和开关等光电子器件,可以制成波导,也可制成二堆并行阵列器件。目前,光逻辑和存贮器件阵列的集成规模已达2048个单元,其中所有的单元都可利用自由空间光(free-space optics)进行外部访问。本文概述了量子阱半导体器件的运行机理及其发展前景。

Quantum well semiconductor devices are a new type of optoelectronic devices based on quantum well physical mechanism, and having the main advantages of small size, high speed and low power dissipation. Because of their good potential for integration with electronic integrated circuits, the devices have great practical values in very complicated integrated circuits for parallel high speed interconnection Quantum well optoelectronic devices such as optical modulators and switches can be made both in waveguides and two-dimensional parallel arrays. The arrays of optical logic and memory devices have been made up to 2048 elements,all externally accessible in parallel with free-space optics. This paper overviews the physics underlying the operation of such devices, and describes the principles of several of the devices types, including Quantum-Confined Stark Effect Modulators(QCSE) and Self-Electrooptic Effect Devices (SEED). At the end of the paper, the prospect of the technical development in this field is also given.