Mid-IR optical limiter based on type-II quantum wells

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 40; no. 10; pp. 1490 - 1499
• Main Authors: Khurgin, J.B., Vurgaftman, I., Meyer, J.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.10.2004; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Absorption; Bandwidth; Beam trapping, self-focusing and defocusing; self-phase modulation; Constraining; Dynamic range; Exact sciences and technology; Flexibility; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Insertion loss; Nonlinear optics; Optical limiters; Optical losses; Optical refraction; Optical sensors; Optics; Physics; Power lasers; Protection; Quantum wells; Spectra; Thresholds; Optical limiting; Gallium antimonides; Quantum wells; Theoretical study; Binary compounds; Mid infrared radiation; Indium arsenides; Optical losses; Reverse saturable absorption; Aluminium antimonides; Optical limiters; Nonlinear optics; Figure of merit
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2004.834776

We show that strong optically induced intervalence band transitions in type-II InAs/GaSb/AlSb quantum wells lead to reverse saturable absorption, and propose to apply it to optical limiting in the mid-infrared spectral region. A salient feature of the proposed limiter is the flexibility of the design for different wavelengths and threshold powers. We develop a rigorous theoretical model of the proposed limiter, and use it to estimate the relationship between the key figures of merit: insertion loss, threshold, optical bandwidth and dynamic range. We investigate tradeoffs involving the dynamic range, optical bandwidth and thickness of the limiter, and show that one can attain a favorable combination of these.