Electrorefraction and electroabsorption in InP, GaAs, GaSb, InAs, and InSb

Effective-mass theory is used to calculate electric-field-induced changes in optical refraction and absorption (the Franz-Keldysh effect) in five direct-gap III-V semiconductors: InP, GaAs, GaSb, InAs, and InSb, covering the 0.88 to 10 μm wavelength range. The magnitude of the effect is determined by fitting experimental absorption data. Results are given for photon energies from the band gap to 100 meV below the gap for applied electric fields from
3 \times 10^{3}
to
3 \times 10^{5}
V/cm. Values of
\Delta n
and
\Delta k
as large as 10
^-3
to 10
^-2
are found. The results are applicable to integrated-optic devices including switches and modulators.