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Title: Optical switching system and method

Patent ·
OSTI ID:868199
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. N. Tonawanda, NY
  2. Engadine, AU
  3. Salt Lake City, UT
+ Show Author Affiliations

An optically bistable device is disclosed. The device includes a uniformly thick layer of amorphous silicon to constitute a Fabry-Perot chamber positioned to provide a target area for a probe beam. The probe beam has a maximum energy less than the energy band gap of the amorphous semiconductor. In a preferred embodiment, a multilayer dielectric mirror is positioned on the Fabry-Perot chamber to increase the finesse of switching of the device. The index of refraction of the amorphous material is thermally altered to alter the transmission of the probe beam.

Research Organization:
Solar Energy Research Institute
DOE Contract Number:
XM-5-05009-2
Assignee:
University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
Patent Number(s):
US 5097357
OSTI ID:
868199
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Refractive Fabry-Perot bistability with linear absorption: Theory of operation and cavity optimization journal March 1981
Thermal modulation of the optical properties of amorphous semiconducting films journal June 1988
Chapter 3 Optical Properties of Defect States in a-Si: H book January 1984
Optical bistability observed in amorphous semiconductor films journal April 1983
The temperature dependence of the refractive index of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and implications for electroreflectance experiments journal January 1980
Optical bistability, photonic logic, and optical computation journal January 1986

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Related Subjects

optical
switching
method
optically
bistable
device
disclosed
uniformly
thick
layer
amorphous
silicon
constitute
fabry-perot
chamber
positioned
provide
target
probe
beam
maximum
energy
band
gap
semiconductor
preferred
embodiment
multilayer
dielectric
mirror
increase
finesse
index
refraction
material
thermally
altered
alter
transmission
multilayer dielectric
thick layer
optical switching
maximum energy
probe beam
band gap
amorphous silicon
preferred embodiment
amorphous semiconductor
energy band
optical switch
dielectric mirror
amorphous material
/359/257/