Abstract

The development of integrated optoelectronic logic devices is of primary importance to the progress of optical image and data processing^1,2 since these devices can greatly increase the power and flexibility of optical processing arrays. This paper presents the design, analysis, and experimental demonstration of a monolithically integrated all optical NOB gate based on the light amplifying optical switch (LAOS). The LAOS device is a heterojunction photo transistor (HPT) vertically integrated with a light-emitting diode (LED). The HPT has broad spectral sensitivity (0.9-1.7 μm) and thus does not require highly stable or tunable laser input sources. The I-V characteristics of the LAOS device exhibit a thyrister-type negative differential resistance and therefore, it has two stable operating points: high resistance (off) state and low resistance (on) state.^3,4

© 1992 Optical Society of America