Abstract

Semiconductor optical amplifiers fabricated from InGaAs/InGaAsP multiple quantum-well (MOW) laser diodes have demonstrated large saturation powers.^1,2 Previously, we have reported that the gain recovery time in such amplifiers can be dominated by a fast time constant (<10 ps) assigned to carrier diffusion.³ Such a rapid recovery will be beneficial for applications to high-speed lightwave systems. In this work, we report a systematic study of the dependence of this rapid gain recovery process on the device structure and demonstrate that the results are indeed consistent with carrier diffusion. From these results it is clear that amplifier structures can be engineered for rapid gain recovery.

© 1991 Optical Society of America