Sub 10 ps Carrier Response Times in Electroabsorption Modulators Using Quantum Well Offsetting

Sub 10 ps photocarrier response time in an electroabsoption modulator using a custom epitaxy structure is demonstrated. This design used quantum well offsetting, carbon doping, and valence band discontinuity minimization, to achieve a 3.5 ps response time, when biased at -4.5 V. The quantum well offsetting also allows bandwidth optimization for a specific extinction ratio.