Thin-film Nonlinear Optical Material: Ordered Ga(1-x)In(x)P On GaAs

GROWTH OF OEDERED Ga(1-x)In(x)P ON GaAs, AS A THIN FILM MATERIAL SHOWING VERY STRONG NONLINEAR OPTICAL (nlo) EFFECTS, WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY METALORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD). IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT MOCVD-GROWN Ga(1-x)In(x)P DISPLAYS VERY STRONG ORDERING OF THE Ga- AND In-SUBLATTICES, AND THAT DEGREE OF ORDERING IS CONTROLLED BY GROWTH PARAMETERS. STRONG ORDERING SHOULD LEAD TO THE LARGE BIREFRINGENCE NEEDED FOR NLO APPLICATIONS. PHASE I WILL SEEK TO FIND DEPOSITION PARAMETERS WHICH YIELD THE GREATEST DEGREE OF ORDERING AND THE STRONGEST NONLINEAR OPTICAL EFFECT. MEASUREMENTS WILL INCLUDE ATOMIC ORDERING AND BIREFRINGENCE VERSUS GROWTH CONDITIONS. PHASE II WILL OPTIMIZE THE GROWTH OF Ga(1-x)In(x)P SO THAT THE SECOND-ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY AND BIREFRINGENCE ARE MAXIMIZED. WE WILL THEN DESIGN, FABRICATE, AND TEST A GaAs-Ga(1-x)In(x)P DEVICE WHICH UTILIZES THE NLO PROPERTIES, SUCH AS AN OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR. DEVELOPMENT MAY BE EXTENDED TO (Al(y)Ga(1-y))(0.5)In(0.5)P, IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE BANDGAP.