Effect of temperature variations on optical waveguiding in GaAs multiple quantum wells

Photoluminescence and grating coupling techniques have been used to investigate the effect of temperature variations, about room temperature, on the optical waveguiding properties of GaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well structures. The modal properties are found to exhibit a large temperature dependence near the excitonic resonance and an equally strong dependence on detuning. From the simultaneous measurement of changes in refractive index and absorption over a 20 K temperature range, it is concluded that temperature variations should be kept to within several kelvin in quantum-well devices, if substantial detuning and dielectric shifts are to be avoided.<
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