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CRC Press eBooks

Stopping and Storing Light in Semiconductor Quantum Wells and Optical Microresonators

Jacob B. Khurgin, R.S. Tucker

Published Oct 8, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

There is a wide variety of proposals for implementations of slow-light effects, and many of them are described in the various chapters of this book. The physical implementations vary from system to system, and so do the mathematical formalisms used to describe the specific physical systems. However, it is also possible that one has two completely different physical slow-light systems, yet the mathematical framework describing the slowing and stopping of light is very similar. In this chapter, we present an example falling into this category. The two physically different slow-light systems are (1) semiconductor multiple quantum wells (QWs) (more specifically: Bragg-spaced multiple QWs, or BSQWs [1-16]) and (2) optical resonators (more specifically: side-coupled integrated spaced sequence of resonators with two waveguide channels, or two-channel SCISSORs [17,18]). In Figure 13.1, BSQWs are schematically shown as a sequence of thin semiconductor QWs, spaced by a distance a with a dielectric of refractive index nb between the wells. SCISSORs are sequences of ring-shaped dielectric optical microresonators coupled to two waveguides (Figure 13.2). Clearly, these are very different physical systems, and so onemay wonder in which sense slow-light concepts (i.e., the concepts for delaying, stopping, storing, and releasing light) can be similar or almost identical in these systems. The answer to this question lies in the fact that both systems can be viewed as physical realizations of one-dimensional resonant photonic bandgap structures (RPBGs). RPBGs differ from conventional (nonresonant) photonic bandgap structures in that each unit cell in the photonic lattice exhibits an optical resonance with a resonance frequency that is identical or at least close to the Bragg frequency characterizing the optical lattice. In QWs, the optical resonance is taken to be the heavy-hole exciton resonance, while in SCISSORs we take one of the optical resonances of the microrings.

DOI
10.1201/9781315219059-22

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There is a wide variety of proposals for implementations of slow-light effects, and many of them are described in the various chapters of this book. The physical implementations vary from system to system, and so do the mathematical formalisms used to describe the specific physical systems. However, it is also possible that one has two completely different physical slow-light systems, yet the mathematical framework describing the slowing and stopping of light is very similar. In this chapter, we present an example falling into this category. The two physically different slow-light systems are (1) semiconductor multiple quantum wells (QWs) (more specifically: Bragg-spaced multiple QWs, or BSQWs [1-16]) and (2) optical resonators (more specifically: side-coupled integrated spaced sequence of resonators with two waveguide channels, or two-channel SCISSORs [17,18]). In Figure 13.1, BSQWs are schematically shown as a sequence of thin semiconductor QWs, spaced by a distance a with a dielectric of refractive index nb between the wells. SCISSORs are sequences of ring-shaped dielectric optical microresonators coupled to two waveguides (Figure 13.2). Clearly, these are very different physical systems, and so onemay wonder in which sense slow-light concepts (i.e., the concepts for delaying, stopping, storing, and releasing light) can be similar or almost identical in these systems. The answer to this question lies in the fact that both systems can be viewed as physical realizations of one-dimensional resonant photonic bandgap structures (RPBGs). RPBGs differ from conventional (nonresonant) photonic bandgap structures in that each unit cell in the photonic lattice exhibits an optical resonance with a resonance frequency that is identical or at least close to the Bragg frequency characterizing the optical lattice. In QWs, the optical resonance is taken to be the heavy-hole exciton resonance, while in SCISSORs we take one of the optical resonances of the microrings.
Stopping, storing andreleasing oflight inresonant photonic bandgap structures madefrom Bragg-spaced quantum wells isstudied. Theexpected performance ofalmost ideal infinite systemsiscontrasted withthatofexisting structures. (©) 2005Optical Society ofAmerica OCIS codes:190.5970 Semiconductor nonlinear optics including MQW, 320.7130 Ultrafast processes incondensed matter, including semiconductors Photonic bandgapstructures suchasphotonic crystals andlayered periodic optical structures-have become important tools forthedeliberate control andmanipulation oflight. Oneclass ofphotonic bandgap structures contains periodically spaced materials withoptical resonances. Oftenreferred toasresonant photonic bandgap structures (RPBG's), this class includes amultiple semiconductor quantum well system whereone Braggfrequency ischosen tobenearthefrequency oftheexciton resonance ineachquantum well(see, e.g., [1, 2,3]). Animportant potential application ofRPBG'sistheslowing andstopping oflight. Here, wedescribe a scheme forthestopping, storing andreleasing oflight thatisbased onthemanipulation ofthephotonic bandstructure ofquantum well Bragg structures. Inaddition toadiscussion ofthebasic idea intermsofideal infinitely (oratleast very) longstructures, wepresent numerical results aimedatevaluating thefeasibility ofcontrolled delay andpossible stopping oflight pulses inrealistic quantum wellBraggstructures. Weshow thattheusefulness ofquantum wellBragg structures foroptical delay lines depends critically onthenumber ofquantumwells andthedephasing/loss mechanism ineachunitcell oftheRPBG,andwealsooutline optimization strategies intermsofspectral light characteristics aswell asquasi anti-reflection coating ofthe
We present a theoretical analysis of light propagation in one-dimensional resonant photonic bandgap structures (RPBGs). The analysis is aimed at evaluating the feasibility of controlled stopping, storing, and releasing of light pulses by parametric manipulation of the RPBG's bandstructure. First we lay the conceptual foundation of light-pulse delay by means of band structure control in infinite RPBGs, and then we contrast the idealized concepts with numerical results for realistic, finite-sized RPBGs. For a physical model for RPBGs, we use semiconductor quantum-well Bragg structures, but the general analysis is valid for a wider class of RPBG. We show that the usefulness of RPBGs for optical delay lines depends critically on the number of quantum wells and the dephasing and loss mechanisms in each unit cell of the RPBG, and we also outline optimization strategies in terms of spectral light characteristics as well as quasi-antireflection coating of the RPBGs.
It is known that light can be slowed down in the vicinity of resonances in dispersive materials.5 In order to reduce the group velocity (vg) of light coherently, there are primarily two major approaches employing either electronic or optical resonances. In the electronic scheme, drastic slowing down and complete stopping of light pulses can be accomplished by converting optical signals into electronic coherences.6-9 The use of electronic states to coherently store the optical information, however, imposes severe constraints in the scheme, including narrow bandwidth, limited working wavelengths and strong temperature dependence. While promising steps have been taken towards slowing light in solidstate media and semiconductor nanostructures operating at room temperature,10 it still remains a great challenge to implement such schemes on-a-chip incorporating optoelectronic devices.9 Besides, only a few special and delicate electronic resonances available in nature possess the required properties. As a result, there has been great interest in pursuing alternative approaches utilizing optical resonances in photonic structures, such as microcavities,11photonic crystals,12 semiconductor waveguide ring resonators,13etc. In 2007, researchers in UK proposed a tapered structure based on metamaterial with negative refractive index.14 Theoretically, this structure should be able to slow light to a standstill. The material would halt each frequency of light, and hence color, at slightly different places, to make so called “trapped rainbow” (see Fig. 9.1), which opened a new and attractive approach to stopping light.
The behavior of light in nano/micro optical devices has shown promising results which can be useful for much fundamental and applied research, especially in nanoelectronics. In particular, with the manipulation of fast and slow light, Pornsuwancharoen and Yupapin [1] have proposed the use of a simple device called a microring resonator to perform such behavior, in which the four different behaviors of light, that is, fast, slow, stopping, and storing of light are investigated using a ring resonator. Nowadays, stopping or cooling a light beam has become a promising technique for atom/molecule trapping investigations (using static or dynamic tweezers), especially after the announcement of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics for the whispering gallery modes [2,3]. There are two more kinds of devices that are used to trap light beams: the use of microcavity arrays performed by Yanik and Fan [4], and the nonlinear microring resonator by Yupapin and Pornsuwancharoen [5] for stopping light (laser beam). Ang and Ngo have also recently done experiments in slowing light in microresonators using a microring system [6]. This concept is a concrete backbone for many applications.
After light became a part of the telecommunication system, the manipulation of light, especially the control of the speed of light, became a focus of research. By using the different approaches of the interaction between light and matter, there have been many successful attempts to slow down the speed of light, even to several meters per second. In the first part of my thesis, I studied pulse propagation in absorptive media (GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well structures-MQWs) to gain insight into the linear interaction between matter and light. Systematic and fundamental measurements of pulse propagation in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well structures will be presented. These measurements are simulated by treating MQWs as a slab. These measurements and simulations will be compared while using a newly introduced general formalism.\nIn the second part of my thesis, I will present another aspect of manipulating light: all-optical switching. Eric Gansen demonstrated all-optical switching in GaAs/AlGaAs MQWs at cryogenic temperatures. I will demonstrate that the same design of all-optical switch, which is based on polarized virtual carriers, can work without any serious loss of performance at near-room temperatures.\nAnother material used in all-optical switches is Bragg-spaced-quantum-well structures (BSQWs) which are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The growth of BSQW is challenging because of the associated unusually long growth times. In the last part of this dissertation, I will discuss the challenges involved in MBE growth of 210 period long GaAs/InGaAs BSQWs. By presenting basic characterization measurements of the successful and unsuccessful attempts of BSQW growths, I will demonstrate the challenges of BSQW growth and how they can be addressed.