Extremely low switching energy optical bistable devices
An all-optical bistable device and an electro-optical bistable device, with performances approaching the fundamental statistical limits, are described. In the all-optical approach, the giant nonlinearities associated with bound exitons in CdS are exploited to demonstrate the lowest-switching-energy (<4 pJ) all-optical bistable device. The device switches in less than 1 ns and fully recovers in less than 2 ns. These times are detector limited. A switching energy of less than 1 fJ is theoretically predicted for an optimized geometry. In the electro-optical approach, an InGaAsP/InP diode laser amplifier is used to demonstrate bistability with less than 6000 photons (<8 x 10/sup -16/ J) incident on the device. The device switches in less than 1 ns and is cascadable since it has a gain of 100. It operates at room temperature and is compatible with diode laser sources.
- Research Organization:
- GTE Labs., Inc., 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02254
- OSTI ID:
- 5739962
- Journal Information:
- Opt. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Opt. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 25:2; ISSN OPEGA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Subnanosecond switching of bistable tandem lasers by subpicojoule optical triggering
Digital optical signal processing with polarization-bistable semiconductor lasers
Related Subjects
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMPLIFIERS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPUTERS
DATA PROCESSING
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUIPMENT
EXCITONS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM PHOSPHIDES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
LASERS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NONLINEAR OPTICS
OPTICAL COMPUTERS
OPTICS
PERFORMANCE
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORS
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOTONS
PNICTIDES
PROCESSING
QUASI PARTICLES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
STABILITY
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SWITCHES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE