Polarization selective electro-optic effect in a coupled quantum wire array

Arrays of coupled GaAs/AlAs quantum wires grown on vicinal substrates exhibit complicated interplay of one- and two-dimensional behavior. We investigate the electro-optic effect in such structures and discuss possible applications for optical switches. By application of a static electric field normal to the growth planes, the interband optical selection rules are controlled between one and two dimensional. The structure shows strong polarization dependence for the polarizations accessible to devices in the vertical configuration as well as for the polarizations accessible to devices configured for lateral integration. The relative sizes of the slots and quantum well-like portion can be chosen so that the derivatives of the optical matrix elements with respect to field are large at zero bias.