EP0155802A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Nonlinear and bistable optical device
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1985-03-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-03-08
Abstract
Abstract The invention is a nonlinear or bistable optical device having a low switching energy. The invention uses a means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent, a structure having a semiconductor quantum well region, and means responsive to the photocurrent for electrically controlling an optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region. The optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region varies in response to variations in the photocurrent. A photodiode or phototransistor may be used as the means responsive to light, and may be made integral with the structure having the semiconductor quantum well region. An array of devices may be fabricated on a single chip for parallel logic processing.
Inventors
- 👤 David Andrew Barclay Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 11:33
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/015; G02F1/017; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; G02F1/01716; G02F1/21; G02F1/218; G02F3/00; G02F3/02; G02F3/028; H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/14; H10F77/146; G02F1/01708
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
An optical device comprising means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent; CHARACTERIZED BY a structure having a semiconductor quantum well region; and means responsive to the photocurrent for electrically controlling an optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region in order to cause the optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region to vary in response to variations in the photocurrent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
An optical device comprising means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent; CHARACTERIZED BY a structure having a semiconductor quantum well region; and means responsive to the photocurrent for electrically controlling an optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region in order to cause the optical absorption of the semiconductor quantum well region to vary in response to variations in the photocurrent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is the semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent is a resistor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region has one semiconductor quantum well layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region has a plurality of semiconductor quantum well layers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent applies a voltage substantially perpendicular to a layer plane of the quantum well region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent applies a voltage substantially parallel to a layer plane of the quantum well region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY means for directing a beam of light substantially perpendicular to a layer plane of the quantum well region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY means for directing a beam of light substantially parallel to a layer plane of the quantum well region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a source of electric potential.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a resistor being made an integral part of the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY an array of optical devices.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY a two dimensional array of optical devices wherein each optical device is capable of performing logic independent of each of the other optical devices within the array.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises semiconductor regions forming a photodiode and made an integral part of the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises semiconductor regions forming a transistor and made an integral part of the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
68 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the structure having a semiconductor quantum well region further comprises a p doped semiconductor layer and an n doped semiconductor layer wherein the quantum well region is electrically attached on a first side to the p doped semiconductor layer and the quantum well region is electrically attached on a second side to the n doped semiconductor layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises an inductor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a constant current source.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a transistor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a phototransistor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to the photocurrent further comprises a photodiode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY means for directing light into the means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent from which latter means the light emerges and enters the semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY the means for directing light into the semiconductor quantum well region-from which region it emerges and enters the means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a phototransistor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a photodiode.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical device in accordance with Claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a photoconductor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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