Monolithically integrated photonic devices for optical interconnect applications

Monolithic integration of optical and electronics components on a single GaAs or InP chip to obtain photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has long been recognized as an attractive goal. The significance of PICs becomes evident as optical system architecture grows in complexity and sophistication. In order to increase the capabilities of PICs, it is desirable to enhance the functionality of each individual component while keeping the fabrication steps simple. With such objective in mind, two sets of novel active and passive optical components are proposed and studied in this thesis. These components include monolithically integrated glass waveguides on semiconductor laser wafers and semiconductor laser logic devices whose output can be controlled by side-injected optical signals. Properties of the two devices are examined and future improvements are discussed.