Non-linear semiconductor optical device having an improved signal-to-noise ratio.

摘要

A non-linear semiconductor optical device comprises a first quantum well layer (12a) having discrete quantum levels of carriers including a first quantum level (E1) for electrons and a second quantum level (H1) for holes with an energy gap corresponding to a wavelength of an incident optical beam; a pair of barrier layers (12b) provided above and below the first quantum well layer in contact therewith with a thickness that allows a tunneling of the carriers therethrough for defining a potential well in correspondence to the first quantum well layer; and a second quantum well layer (12c) provided in contact with the barrier layers for accepting the carriers that have been created in the first quantum well layer upon excitation by the incident optical beam and escaped therefrom by tunneling through the barrier layer. The second quantum well layer comprises a material that has a conduction band including therein a GAMMA valley and an X valley, wherein said GAMMA valley is located at an energy level substantially higher than the first quantum level while said X valley is located at an energy level substantially lower than the first quantum level.