Electroabsorption duplexer

Abstract

An electroabsorption (EA) duplexer in which an optical amplifier, a photodetector, and an optical modulator are monolithically integrated to obtain a high radio frequency (RF) gain in radio-over fiber (RoF) link optical transmission technology is provided. The EA duplexer includes a substrate, a separation area, an optical detection/modulation unit, and an optical amplification unit. The separation area includes a first epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the substrate. The first epitaxial layer functions as a first optical waveguide. The optical detection/modulation unit includes a second epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the first epitaxial layer to detect and modulate an optical signal. The second epitaxial layer functions as a second optical waveguide. The optical amplification unit includes the second optical waveguide and a third epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the second epitaxial layer to amplify an optical signal. The third epitaxial layer functions as a third optical waveguide. The optical amplification unit is electrically separated from the optical detection/modulation unit by the separation area and is disposed on at least one side of the optical detection/modulation unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a conventional radio-over fiber (RoF) link optical transmission system;

FIG. 1B is a detailed block diagram of a base station illustrated in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a semiconductor laser diode into which a conventional spot size converter (SSC) is integrated;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a structure in which a conventional SSC, an optical amplifier, and an electroabsorption (EA) modulator are monolithically integrated;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of EA duplexer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a block diagram illustrating connection of elements integrated in the EA duplexer illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a conceptual diagram illustrating the positional relationships among optical waveguides included in elements of the EA duplexer illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an EA duplexer including all epitaxial layers used in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an EA duplexer according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of an EA duplexer according to still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating optical power and overall optical loss appearing in individual optical waveguides extending in a light propagation direction in an EA duplexer embodied according to the present invention in a beam propagation method (BPM) simulation.

Claims

1. An electroabsorption duplexer comprising: a substrate;a separation area comprising a first epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the substrate, the first epitaxial layer functioning as a first optical waveguide;an optical detection/modulation unit comprising a second epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the first epitaxial layer to detect and modulate an optical signal, the second epitaxial layer functioning as a second optical waveguide; andan optical amplification unit comprising the second optical waveguide and a third epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer on the second epitaxial layer to amplify an optical signal, the third epitaxial layer functioning as a third optical waveguide,wherein the optical amplification unit is electrically separated from the optical detection/modulation unit by the separation area and is disposed on at least one side of the optical detection/modulation unit.

2. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the optical amplification unit is disposed at each of both sides of the optical detection/modulation unit, and cross-sections of the optical waveguides form a W shape as whole in a direction in which the optical signal propagates.

3. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein an effective refraction index of an optical mode increases in order of the first optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide, and the third optical waveguide.

4. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the second and third optical waveguides have a deep or shallow ridge shape having a width of 2-3 μm and a thickness of 1.5-2.5 μm.

5. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the first optical waveguide has a width of 2-5 μm and a thickness of 0.2-1 μm.

6. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, each of the first, second and third optical waveguides comprises a spot size converter at at least one end to allow an optical mode to efficiently move among the first, second and third optical waveguides.

7. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 6, wherein the third optical waveguide comprises a third spot size converter toward the optical detection/modulation unit, the second optical waveguide in the optical amplification unit comprises a second third spot size converter on the first optical waveguide toward the optical detection/modulation unit, and the second optical waveguide in the optical detection/modulation unit comprises a second second spot size converter on the first optical waveguide toward the optical amplification unit.

8. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 6, wherein the optical amplification unit further comprises a second first optical waveguide formed of a second first epitaxial layer between the second epitaxial layer and the third epitaxial layer, and the second first optical waveguide is longer than the third optical waveguide and comprises a second first spot size converter toward the optical detection/modulation unit.

9. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 8, wherein the optical mode of an optical signal input to the third optical waveguide is moved to the second first optical waveguide via the third spot size converter, then to the second optical waveguide in the optical amplification unit via the second first spot size converter, then to the first optical waveguide via the second third spot size converter so that the optical mode is moved three times from the third optical waveguide to the first optical waveguide.

10. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 8, wherein each of the optical waveguides has a ridge shape, the spot size converter comprised in each optical waveguide has a wedge shape, the third spot size converter has the same width as the third optical waveguide at its start and a reduced width of 0.7 μm or less at its end and is 200 μm or less in length, the second first spot size converter has a width equal to or greater than the width of the third optical waveguide at its start and a reduced width of 1 μm or less at its end and is 100 μm or less in length, and the second second spot size converter and the second third spot size converter have the same width as the second optical waveguide at their starts and a reduced width of 0.7 μm or less at their ends and are 200 μm or less in length.

11. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made using semi-insulator indium phosphide (InP), and the first epitaxial layer is made using 1.24 Q indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP).

12. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 11, wherein the first epitaxial layer functions as an n-type metal contact layer at a bottom of the second optical waveguide in the optical detection/modulation unit.

13. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the optical detection/modulation unit further comprises: second second spot size converters at both ends, respectively, to efficiently move an optical mode;a photodetector detecting an optical signal;an optical modulator modulating an optical signal; andan isolation trench electrically separating the photodetector and the optical modulator.

14. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 13, wherein the optical detection/modulation unit further comprises an isolation trench at at least one among a portion between one second second spot size converter and the photodetector and a portion between the optical modulator and the other second second spot size converter for electrical separation.

15. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 13, wherein the photodetector has a length of 100 μm or less, and the optical modulator has a length of 600 μm or less.

16. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 13, wherein optical detection/modulation unit further comprises a p-type contact layer made using 1.3 Q indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) on an upper clad layer comprised in the second optical waveguide, and the isolation trench is formed by etching the p-type contact layer or the second epitaxial layer.

17. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein a total thickness of all of the epitaxial layers is 3-5 μm.

18. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the second epitaxial layer comprises a p-type metal contact layer at its top; the optical amplification unit further comprises an optical amplifier formed on the p-type metal contact layer to amplify an optical signal; the optical detection/modulation unit further comprises a photodetector and an optical modulator below the p-type metal contact layer to detect and modulate an optical signal; and the optical amplifier, the photodetector, and the optical modulator share the p-type metal contact layer formed of one epitaxial layer.

19. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 18, wherein the p-type metal contact layer is made using 1.3 Q indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) and has a thickness of 0.1-0.3 μm.

20. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the third optical waveguide comprises an active core formed in a multi-quantum well or bulk structure.

21. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the third optical waveguide comprises an active core made using 1.6 Q indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP).

22. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein each of the third and second optical waveguides comprises an active core which is strained to prevent an optical signal from being polarized.

23. The electroabsorption duplexer of claim 1, wherein the optical amplification unit further comprises at least one optical waveguide made using at least one epitaxial layer formed of at least one material layer between the second epitaxial layer and the third epitaxial layer.