Control of polarization in integrated optics

Integrated optical devices have attracted considerable attention in recent years with the rapid progress in optical communications, and the emergence of dense wavelength division multiplexing systems. The control over the state of polarization of the optical signal is an important issue that needs to be addressed due to the structure-induced anisotropy in these devices. In this thesis, two different types of integrated optical devices, with distinct approaches to address their polarization sensitivity, have been explored.; The first device investigated was a semiconductor optical amplifier based on multi-quantum wells, where the gain depends on the state of polarization of the optical signal. To realize amplifiers with polarization insensitive gain, tensile-strained quantum wells structures were utilized as active regions in these devices. Optical gain calculations were performed using k.p method to calculate the tensile stress that needs to be introduced for gain equalization. These devices were then fabricated and tested to demonstrate the concept of gain equalization in InGaAsP/InP based material system at 1300 nm wavelength window and in AlInGaAs/InP based material system at both 1300 nm and 1550 run wavelength windows.; In the second device, polarization sensitivity of integrated optical devices, combined with the linear electro-optic effect in III-V semiconductor materials, is exploited to manipulate the state of polarization of the optical signal. A phase modulator, combined with a TE $\leftrightarrow$ TM converter, may be used to obtain a device that converts the arbitrary elliptical input state of polarization to either the TE or the TM mode of the structure. Finite element methods have been developed to model the propagation and loss characteristics, and calculate the switching voltages of these devices based on AlGaAs/GaAs material system. The fabricated devices were then investigated for their I-V characteristics and propagations losses with and without the metal electrodes. These measurements reveal high losses for the optical signal in the presence of the metal electrodes with a higher attenuation for the TM mode as compared to the TE mode. A complete measurement of the polarization characteristics of these devices requires modified waveguide/electrode structure to minimize the excess losses encountered by the optical signal.