Nonlinearities in the reflection and transmission spectra of the photonic bandgap heterostructures with n–i–p–i crystals
- Publication date
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- Springer
Abstract
Nonlinear optical properties of photonic crystal heterostructures with embedded
n–i–p–i superlattices are investigated. Self-consistent calculations of the transmission and
reflection spectra near the defect mode are performed using the transfer-matrix method and
taking into account the gain saturation. Analysis of features and output characteristics is carried
out for one-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers in the GaAs–GaInP
system having at the central part an active “defect” from doubled GaAs n–i–p–i crystal layers.
The gain saturation in the active layers in the vicinity of the defect changes the index
contrast of the photonic structure and makes worse the emission at the defect mode. Spectral
bistability effect, which can be exhibited in photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers, is
predicted and the hysteresis loop and other attending phenomena are described. The bistability
behavior and modulation response efficiency demonstrate the potential possibilities of
the photonic crystal heterostructures with n–i–p–i layers as high-speed optical amplifiers and
switches