Ferroelectric / superconducting heterostructures of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 [PZT] / (Y0.6Pr0.4)Ba2Cu3Oy [YPBCO] have been formed on SrTiO3(100) substrate using an ArF pulsed laser deposition. The crystallinity and surface morphology of heterostructures were investigated by X-ray diffraction measurements and atomic force microscopy. We also measured dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT film in the Au/PZT/YPBCO structure. Furthermore, we fabricated a three-terminal devices having the structure described above using an in-situ metal mask exchange system, and investigated the ferroelectric field effect. As a result, we observed a modulation of channel resistance approximately equal to that estimated from the induced carrier and memory effect due to remanent polarization of PZT.

Recently, many types of high-density recording technologies for future MO (Magneto-Optical) storage have been reported. MSR (Magnetically Induced Super Resolution) technology is one of the most promising candidates, and over ten types of MSR technologies have been already proposed. However, they are not well-discussed from the viewpoint of total recording technology which would include the recording and readout methods, the pick-up technology and the signal processing technology. Key technologies for realizing MO storage of over 7 GBytes in a CD-sized disk using a red laser are proposed, and the experimental results pertaining to each key technology are described. The write/read characteristics were examined for the CAD (Center Aperture Detection)-MSR disk. From the characteristics of the CAD-MSR disk combined with laser pumped magnetic field modulation recording, it was shown that land/groove (0.7 µm width) recording with the linear density of 0.27 µm/bit and track pitch below 0.7 µm can be realized. It was also shown that CAD-MSR disk is well combined with an OSR (Optical Super Resolution) pick up, laser pumped read-out and PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) technologies which are very useful to achieve a high density MO disk. Using CAD-MSR disk combined with above technologies together, high density write/read with a bit length of 0.2 µm and a track pitch of 0.6 µm should be realized with using the laser of 635 nm wavelength. Applying the CAD-MSR disks to a CD sized MO disk, the capacity becomes over 7 GBytes (Format efficiency: 80%), which is 20 times higher than 5.25 inches MO disk and 1.5 times than DVD-ROM.

We have constructed a new concept device with combination of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials by a laser ablation technique. An ideal hetero-epitaxy can be obtained owing to the similar crystal structure of perovskite type ferroelectric Pb (Zr, Ti) O3; (so called PZT) and ferromagnetic (La, Sr) MnO3. The ferromagnetic (La, Sr) MnO3 compounds are well known for their colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) properties. The CMR effect is strongly affected by the lattice stress. The PZT, on the other hand, is famous for its large piezoelectrics. We can introduce the lattice stress easily by applying voltage for the piezoelectric compounds. In the heterostructured ferromagnetic/ferroelectric devices, there are remarkable interesting phenomena. Electric properties of the ferromagnetic material can be controlled by piezoelectric effect via distortion of crystal structure.

The use of selective oxidation to fabricate vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers is described. The nativeoxide impacts the device design in two ways, the first being in the introduction of an intracavity dielectric aperture that laterally confines the mode, and the second in the formation of high contrast dielectric Bragg reflectors to shorten the effective cavity length. To date the more important has been the indexconfinement, with record low threshold currents, threshold voltages, and power conversion efficiencies being reported from several groups. However, future designs will likely also benefit from the reduced diffraction loss for a small mode size that is possible with high contrast native oxide/semiconductor mirrors. We describe some of the most important design issues in obtaining ultralow threshold operation.

A brief overview is done to the development of the fiber-optic technology. These recent topics, not the commonly established techniques, are described connecting with the developments of the basic concepts and the expected applications. Some of these newly introduced ideas will become the seeds for the future development of the fiber-optic technology. These seeds include the very deep understanding of the fiber material, new concepts for the fiber characteristics, the brandnew fiber-optic devices and the fiber-optic systems and the applications.

Photovoltaic devices capable of generating more than 200 volts with an area of 1 cm2 have been developed for directly driving microactuators such as piezoelectric or electrostatic actuators. The micro-devices interconnect 285 micro cells (unit cell size: about 0.5 mm 2.0 mm) in series, and have an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 207 volts, a short circuit current (Isc) of 36.6 µA, a maximum output power (Pmax) of 4.65 mW and a fill factor (F.F.) of 0.615 under AM (Air Mass) 1.5 and 100 mW/cm2 illumination. This voltage is the highest in the world for the area of 1 cm2. The series connection is precisely processed by a focused laser beam, thereby significantly reducing the area needed for device connections. It has been confirmed that a piezoelectric polymer can be directly driven by the electrical output in evaluating the potential of the devices to be used as a microactuator's power source.

Narrow-beam and low threshold current characteristics have been realized for a 1.3 µm FS-BH (Facet Selective growth Buried Heterostructure) laser diode monolithically integrated with a tapered waveguide lens by a selective area epitaxial growth technique. The beam divergences in the perpendicular and horizontal directions have been reduced down to about 12. By the introduction of the strained quantum well structure and the optimized cavity structure, the threshold current has been kept as low as 6 mA which is comparable to the conventional Fabry-Perot laser diodes. Even at high temperature as high as 85, the threshold current and the operation current (P=10 mW) have been suppressed to as low as 23 mA and 63 mA, respectively. Furthermore error-floor-free characteristics for 622 Mbps-50 km transmission have been confirmed under severe optical feedback condition.

This paper describes the technological issues in achieving a low-cost hybrid WDM module for access network systems. The problems which should be resolved in developing a low-cost module are clarified from the viewpoint of the module assembly in mass production. A design concept for a low-cost module suitable for mass production is indicated, which simplifies the alignment between a laser diode and a waveguide, and reduces the number of the components such as lenses and mirrors. The low-cost module is achieved by employing a flip-chip bonding method with passive alignment using a spot-size converter integrated laser diode (SS-LD) and p-i-n waveguide photodiodes (WGPDs) on a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) platform. We confirm that the SS-LD and the WGPD provide high coupling efficiency with a large tolerance for passive alignment. To achieve a high-sensitivity receiver, the module is designed to employ an asymmetric PLC Y-splitter that prefers a PD responsivity to an LD output power because of the high-coupling efficiency of the LD, and to employ a bare preamplifier mounting to reduce the parasitic capacitance into a preamplifier. We also demonstrate the dynamic performance for a 50-Mb/s burst signal, such as a high sensitivity, an instantaneous AGC response, and a small APC deviation of the transceiver.

A wavelength tunable DBR laser monolithically integrated with an EA-modulator as a WDM system light source was fabricated by selective area MOVPE growth. The lasing wavelength and band-gap energy were simultaneously controlled on the same epitaxial wafer by using a modulated grown thickness of InGaAsP/InGaAsP MQW layers. A wavelength tuning range of 3.5 nm, an output power of 3 mW, and an extinction ratio of 14 dB for 3 V were achieved. The measured 3 dB frequency bandwidth was 2 GHz. No significant change in modulation characteristics were observed when wavelength tuning by injecting the current into the DBR.

At present, the widespread use of optoelectronic components is restricted by their high cost. Up to 90% of the cost of a semiconductor laser is in the packaging, with the fibre-chip alignment the major part. In this paper, an approach to low cost packaging is described, which uses an integrated mode size transformer to match the laser output to the fibre mode. This improves the alignment tolerance of the laser-fibre coupling by more than a factor of three, allowing simple passive alignment approaches to be used. It requires only minor modification to the processing of a standard buried heterostructure laser, and allows the coupling efficiency to be optimised without compromising the performance of the laser. The design of a silicon submount for passive laser-fibre alignment is described and coupling losses as low as 1.2 dB to standard cleaved single mode fibre are reported. The technology that has been developed is generic and its successful application to other optoelectronic devices such as fibre grating lasers, semiconductor optical amplifiers and laser arrays is described.

Laser module fabricated with silicon platform technology is very attractive for low-cost modules. The technology enables passive optical alignment of an LD to an optical fiber. Our marker design for passive alignment allows positioning accuracy within 1 µm of LD. However, coupling efficiency is a key issue because that by conventional butt coupling scheme is low with about 10 dB coupling loss. We investigated optical coupling characteristics in various types of coupling scheme: conventional flat end fibers, cone fibers, integrated GRIN rod lenses on the platform and the coupling with new-type LDs integrated with spot size transformer. Improvement of coupling efficiency with 3 dB and 7.5 dB compared to flat-end fiber is achieved by using the cone fiber and the GRIN rod lens, respectively, although 1-dB coupling tolerances for alignment deteriorated with these schemes. We obtained high efficient coupling with 3.5 dB coupling loss and wide alignment tolerance of 2.3 µm simultaneously with a new-type LD integrated with spot size transformer owing to its expanded spot size characteristics.

We studied three types of lasers emitting narrow beam divergence of output light: 1) a spot-size converter integrated laser diodes (SS-LDs) with a vertically tapered waveguide, 2) one with a laterally tapered waveguide, and 3) one consisting of a small cross section of active region. We compared them with regard to their performance in coupling efficiency to a cleaved single mode fiber, threshold current, output power, and reliability. Both the spot-size converted integrated lasers with vertically and laterally tapered waveguide repeatedly provided low threshold currents of as low as 6 mA and low coupling loss to the fiber of 1.2 to 2.5 dB in two inch wafer processes. As a result of the aging test, the SS-lasers were predicted to have the same degradation rate as a conventional buried heterostructure laser. The laser having a small cross section of active layer also has low coupling loss and high efficiency up to 85.

The paper discusses the possibility of building semiconductor lasers whose wavelength stays nearly constant with ambient temperature variation. Several factors affecting the lasing wavelength change with temperature variation in both distributed feedback lasers and Fabry-Perot lasers are addressed and the optimum design of bandgap temperature dependence for the active layer material is discussed. It is pointed out that the most important challenge we face in building temperature-insensitive wavelength lasers is the development of a temperature-insensitive bandgap material for the active layer. Based on published data, it is speculated that such a laser could be developed using a Hg1-xCdxTe/CdTe double heterostructure. Although no data is available yet, we expect a Ga1-xInxAs1-yBiy III-V alloy semiconductor can be used for this purpose. Recently reported T1xIn1-x-yGayP III-V alloy semiconductor might be another promising candidate. Such lasers will greatly advance applications of WDM (Wavelength-Division-Multiplexing) technology to optical fiber communication systems and contribute to network innovations.

Preliminary experiments on non-destructive quantitative analysis of water vapor density in halogen lamps have been carried out. A working curve showing a relation between absorbance and water vapor density was successfully obtained by using frequency-stabilized InGaAsP/InP semiconductor laser spectrometric system.

Mechanism of the noise generation caused by the optical feedback in semiconductor laser was experimentally determined. Two types of the mode competition phenomena were confirmed to be the generating mechanisms. Applicability of the self-sustained pulsation to be a noise reduction method was also discussed.

We have recently discovered a novel phenomenon for the fabrication of nanostructures. A self-organization phenomenon of a strained InGaAs/AlGaAs system on a GaAs (311)B substrate during metal-organic vapor phase epitaxial growth is described, and nano-scale confinement lasers with self-organized InGaAs quantum disks are mentioned. Low-threshold operation of strained InGaAs quantum disk lasers is achieved under a continuous-wave condition at room temperature. The threshold current is around 20 mA, which is consider-ably lower than that of a reference double-quantum-well laser on a GaAs (100) substrate grown side-by-side. However, the light output versus the driving current exhibits a pronounced tendency towards a saturation compared to that of the (100) quantum well laser. We also discuss new methods using self-organization for nanofabrication to produce high-quality low-dimensional optical devices, considering requirements and the current status for next-generation optical devices.

The multichannel distortions of direct modulated laser diode were studied from the view point of rate equations. A novel technique for compensating the composite second order distortion (CSO) was proposed. Meanwhile, the related calibration procedures were indicated. After the compensation, 10 dB improvement in CSO was obtained

We discuss fabrication of InGaAs quantum dot structures using the self-assembling growth technique with the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode in MOCVD, including optical ploperties of the nano-structures. The formation process of the quantum dot islands was clarified by observing the samples grown under various conditions with an atomic force microscope. A trial for self-alignment of the quantum dots was also investigated. On the basis of these results, as the first step toward the ultimate semiconductor lasers in which both electrons and photons are fully quantized, a vertical microcavity InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot laser was demonstrated. Finally a perspective of the quantum dot lasers is discussed, including the bottleneck issues and the impact of the quantum dot structures for reducing threshold current in wide bandgap lasers such as GaN lasers.

The thermal and/or the tensile strain distribution along the fiber make the Brillouin gain coefficient different in each point of the fiber. As a basic study of the Brillouin fiber optic gyro, its effect on lasing characteristics of a fiber Brillouin ring laser is formulated in the general form by using the statistical function and then calculation is done for typical values of the parameters. By suppressing the polarization-fluctuation-induced noise caused by the temperature, an example of the effect of the spatially distributed gain coefficient is experimentally demonstrated.

The 4th harmonics of a Nd:YAG laser beam (266 nm) is applied to fabricate highly oriented Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ -SrTiO3-Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ multilayer structures. It has been shown that the emission temperature of a film surface will change during deposition, depending on deposition conditions, even though the heater temperature is constant. The change of substrate temperature is strongly correlated to film characteristics such as critical temperature, c-axis length, and resistivity. The insitu monitoring of the substrate temperature is useful for obtaining high-quality Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ films reproducibly. It is also shown that a SrTiO3 layer prevents oxygen restoration in a Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ underlayer. The relationship between oxygen deficiency and the annealing conditions is studied.