title: Vertical-cavity saturable-absorber intensity modulator.
abstract: We propose and demonstrate a reflection-type optical modulator, with surface-normal architecture, that exploits the optical saturation of absorption in semiconductor quantum wells. The modulation section of the modulator, which is composed of quantum wells placed within a Fabry-Perot cavity, is optically controlled by an intensity-modulated beam generated by an in-plane laser integrated monolithically on the same wafer and grown in a single epitaxial step. The modulation section and the in-plane laser share the same medium; therefore, efficient coupling between the control beam and the signal beam is achieved. The device was successfully used for active mode locking of an erbium-doped fiber laser.
authors.affiliation: Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology. P.O. Box 692, FIN-33101, Tampere, Finland. mircrea.guina@orc.tut.fi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vainionpää
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harkonen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orsila
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lyytikäinen
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Okhotnikov