3-TERMINAL LASER STRUCTURE FOR HIGH-SPEED MODULATION USING DYNAMIC CARRIER HEATING

A three-terminal laser structure is proposed as a means to achieve las er modulation using dynamic carrier heating. The injection of hot elec trons, with energy tuned by variable joule heating over a high electri c field region, is used to govern the carrier temperature in the activ e layer of a laser, while a separate heterojunction controls the injec tion rate. Simulations show the possibility of generating good-shaped picosecond optical pulses by modulating the voltage that controls the heating electric field. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.