Theoretical and experimental studies of electric‐field‐induced refractive index change in quantum‐film, ‐wire, and ‐box structures

Abstract

In this article we report theoretical as well as experimental studies of the electric‐field‐induced refractive index change in InGaAs/InP quantum‐well structures, viz., quantum‐film, quantum‐wire, and quantum‐box structures. The refractive index change, easily measured using a Mach‐Zehnder interferometer setup, was around 1%, 4%, and 7% in quantum film, quantum wire, and quantum box, respectively, in the longer‐wavelength region corresponding to the positive refractive index change peak. Moreover, we will discuss that the refractive index change dependency on the polarization of incident light in a quantum film can be controlled by introducing suitable tensile strain in it. It was found that for a well width of 11 nm, 0.3% tensile strain should be induced to obtain polarization‐independent refractive index change. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.