Optical Bistability And Transphasor Action In Semiconductors

D. A. B. Miller; C. T Seaton; S. D. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.959048

15 May 1981 Optical Bistability And Transphasor Action In Semiconductors

D. A. B. Miller, C. T Seaton, S. D. Smith

Proceedings Volume 0236, 1980 European Conf on Optical Systems and Applications; (1981) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.959048
Event: 1980 European Conference on Optical Systems and Applications, 1980, Utrecht, Netherlands

Abstract

We report the realisation of optically bistable switching and memory elements, and the transphasor Can all-optical transistor) in simple one element nonlinear Fabry-Perot interferometers made from the semiconductor InSb. These devices, which operate at 5 K and 77 K with mW powers from a cw CO laser between 5 and 6 μm rely on a strongly intensity-dependent refractive index discovered near the bandgap region of InSb and explained by bandgap resonant saturation. Switching speeds are shown to be < 500 ns in these first devices and operation to much shorter timescales is predicted. Operation at room temperature and in other semiconductors at other wavelengths remains a possibility and such devices offer considerable potential for all-optical switching in integrated optics and laser pulse control.

Citation Download Citation

D. A. B. Miller, C. T Seaton, and S. D. Smith "Optical Bistability And Transphasor Action In Semiconductors", Proc. SPIE 0236, 1980 European Conf on Optical Systems and Applications, (15 May 1981); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.959048

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