ROOM-TEMPERATURE QUANTUM WELL INFRARED MODULATOR USING A SCHOTTKY DIODE

A reverse biased Schottky diode is used to deplete the population in quantum wells and to modulate the intersubband absorption coefficient. This middle infrared electro‐optic modulator works at room temperature. A waveguide geometry is demonstrated, with only six quantum wells. The 14% modulation could easily be enhanced by optimizing the quantum well overlap with the optical guided mode of the waveguide.