Quantum-well design for monolithic optical devices with gain and saturable absorber sections

We propose a new design of semiconductor quantum-well heterostructures, which can be used to improve the performance of monolithic mode-locked diode lasers and all-optical signal-processing devices with gain and saturable absorber sections. Numerical modeling shows that this design can increase the carrier sweep-out rate from the absorber section by several orders of magnitude, while retaining high carrier confinement on the ground level making for efficient signal amplification by the gain sections.