US4546244A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Nonlinear and bistable optical device
Assignee: Nokia Bell Labs
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Filing: 1984-03-14
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Granted: 1985-10-08
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Expires: 2004-03-14
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 A. B. Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 03:57
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
64 words
An optical device comprising: means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent; wherein the improvement comprises; a structure having a semiconductor quantum well region; and means responsive to said photocurrent for electrically controlling an optical absorption of said semiconductor quantum well region in order to cause said optical absorption of said semiconductor quantum well region to vary in response to variations in said photocurrent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
An optical device comprising: means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent; wherein the improvement comprises; a structure having a semiconductor quantum well region; and means responsive to said photocurrent for electrically controlling an optical absorption of said semiconductor quantum well region in order to cause said optical absorption of said semiconductor quantum well region to vary in response to variations in said photocurrent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is said semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent is a resistor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region has one semiconductor quantum well layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region has a plurality of semiconductor quantum well layers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent applies a voltage substantially perpendicular to a layer plane of said quantum well regions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent applies a voltage substantially parallel to a layer plane of said quantum well region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising means for directing a beam of light substantially perpendicular to a layer plane of said quantum well region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising means for directing a beam of light substantially parallel to a layer plane of said quantum well region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a source of electric potential.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a resistor being made an integral part of said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising an array of said optical devices.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising a two dimensional array of said optical devices wherein each said optical device is capable of performing logic indepenent of each of said other optical devices within said array.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises semiconductor regions forming a photodiode and made an integral part of said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises semiconductor regions forming a transistor and made an integral part of said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said structure having a semiconductor quantum well region further comprises a p doped semiconductor layer and an n doped semiconductor layer wherein said quantum well region is electrically attached on a first side to said p doped semiconductor layer and said quantum well region is electrically attached on a second side to said n doped semiconductor layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises an inductor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a constant current source.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a transistor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a phototransistor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said photocurrent further comprises a photodiode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising means for directing light into said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent from which means responsive to light said light emerges and enters said semiconductor quantum well region.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical device as in claim 1 further comprising means for directing light into said semiconductor quantum well region from which region it emerges and enters said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a phototransistor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a photodiode.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical device as in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to light for generating a photocurrent is a photoconductor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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