........ published in NEWSLETTER # 48
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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 48
WAVEGUIDE OPTOELECTRONICS
Book review prepared by Dr. Stephen G. Ayling of the University of Glasgow, Glasgow (U.K.)
Optoelectronics is a fast growing, multi-disciplinary area of research and manufacture, but it is often difficult to find review literature which is both up_to_date with new technologies and specific to this field. The 1990 NATO Advanced Study Institute summer school in `Waveguide Optoelectronics' directed by Dr. J.H.Marsh of the University of Glasgow, brought together high-level speakers to review the major areas of work and look ahead to future avenues for research. Not everyone can attend such meetings and this book, written by the speakers and based on the actual lectures given, is an excellent record of the work covered. It is aimed at postgraduate level with a good selection of references to guide those who want to know more.
This volume (NATO ASI SERIES E226) is co-edited by John H.Marsh and Richard M. DeLaRue. It begins with a review of the theory of waveguides and how different devices (active and passive) can been modelled. The properties of materials and structures are considered and then developed further with reference to III-V's, lithium niobate and silica. Growth and processing techniques, like neutral impurity disordering, are covered to give the reader an insight into the current state_of_the_art. The properties of quantum wells and of devices using them are discussed illustrating the advantages of low-dimensional structures for enhancing waveguide properties and device performance. Individual optoelectronic devices are considered, such as lasers and modulators, as well as the possibilities of integrated optoelectronic and photonic circuits. Many aspects relevant to high_speed digital optical communication systems are covered in these early chapters, while the latter part of the volume considers more directly optical fibres and nonlinear optics. High speed switches, amplifiers and lasers are reviewed, many of which are now in commercial production and use by the communications industry.
Reference books: E182, E226