1.3-μm polarization-insensitive optical amplifier structure based on coupled quantum wells

We show that polarization-insensitive optical gain over a wide bandwidth can be realized in a coupled pseudomorphic multiple-quantum-well structure. The barrier width is chosen such that heavy-hole subbands are grouped tightly and light-hole subbands are widely separated in energy. For specific strain conditions, the uppermost valence subbands, which have large occupation probability and strongly contribute to the gain, consist of a single light-hole subband and a group of coupled heavy-hole subbands. This arrangement gives rise to balanced gains for the TE and TM polarizations. We present calculated results for 1.3-μm semiconductor optical amplifier structures based on bands calculated in the framework of an eight-band k·p model. Two different material systems are examined, InAlGaAs and GaInAsP, on InP substrates