Optoelectronic active circuit element

Claim 1

An optoelectronic device comprising: a light source having at least one light emitting surface for emitting light energy in a specified frequency bandwidth; a photocell means having a light collecting surface for absorbing light energy and converting the light energy into an electrical output signal; and optical control means having at least a first and second surface, the first surface being in intimate contact with the light emitting surface of the light source and the second surface being in intimate contact with the light collecting surface of the photocell means for controlling the emitted light energy that may be absorbed by the photocell means in response to an input signal, the optical control means comprising: an interference filter means for polarizing the emitted light energy to produce a polarized light energy; and a polarization filter means for controlling the polarized light energy by changes in one or more indices of refraction of the polarization means as a result of changes in one or more bandpass frequencies of the polarization filter means in response to the input signal, whereby the optoelectronic device behaves as an active circuit element such that the electrical output signal is a function of the input signal.