03/10/2023
By Aaron Hutchins

The Kennedy College of Science, Department of Physics, invites you to attend a master's thesis defense by Aaron Hutchins entitled “Steady State Model of a Quantum Dot Slab-Coupled Optical Waveguide Amplifier.”  All are invited to attend.

Date: Friday, March 24, 2023
Time: noon
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact MS candidate Aaron_Hutchins@student.uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Title: Steady State Model of a Quantum Dot Slab-Coupled Optical Waveguide Amplifier

Committee Members

  • Chair Wei Guo, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Andriy Danylov, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor, Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Viktor Podolskiy, Ph.D., Professor, Assistant Chair, Graduate Coordinator, Physics & Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:

Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are required in many photonic systems to selectively amplify input signals generated by laser sources. Among fundamental mode SOAs operating at telecommunication wavelengths, those utilizing InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) in their active regions have demonstrated the ability to produce high saturation output powers and low noise figures compared to more traditional quantum well-based designs. The slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) architecture has emerged as an attractive candidate for future SOAs as it promises Watt-class operation, a low optical confinement factor, and low internal loss. The geometry of the architecture allows for a strong fundamental mode and low noise from perpendicular modes. In this work, a slab-coupled optical waveguide amplifier with a quantum dot active region under steady state operation is modeled using a coupled rate equation evaluation method. The simulation demonstrates that quantum dot gain media can provide single mode operation at saturation output powers at similar or better values than those of quantum well devices.