Numerical simulations for the analysis of the dynamical behavior of an ultra-fast InP/InGaAsP optoelectronic modulator

In this paper we present a simulation strategy for the accurate prediction of the functionality of an InP based optoelectronic modulator. The device is composed of an InP/InGaAsP p-i-n diode embedded in a rib waveguide and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Finite Element Analysis for both semiconductor and optical equations solution is exploited. The presented numerical results, indicating a reverse bias voltage of 5.5 V for a 180° phase shift in a 2 mm-long device, are confirmed by measured data. Transient simulation predicts that this structure is suitable for 40 Gbit/s operation