Uniaxially strained semiconductor multiple quantum well device using direction-dependent thermal expansion coefficients in a host substrate

U.S. Patent Number: 5381260

Abstract: The present invention is a spatial light modulator which uses an uniaxially trained multiple quantum well (MQW) structure with an anisotropic absorption to rotate the polarization of light normal to the MQW structure. The anisotropy which produces this rotation is the result of a thermally induced in-plane anisotropic strain. The MQW light modulator based on this process has a high contrast ratio of 7000:1 and increased speed as compared to other similar modulators.

Inventors: Ballato; Arthur (Oceanport, NJ), Kosinski; John A. (Wall Township, Monmouth County, NJ), Dutta; Mitra (Matawan, NJ), Shen; Hongen (Howell, NJ), Lu; Yicheng (Highland Park, NJ), Pamulapati; Jagadeesh (Eatontown, NJ)

Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army (Washington, DC)

Application Number: 08/154,901

Issued: 1995-01-10

Expired: 2007-01-10

Classes: 359/248 ; 257/14; 257/94; 359/245

Field of search: 359/237,238,245,248,276,629 257/14,15,18,22,94,96,97

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