A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer on one side of a semiconductor body to define a pn-junction therebetween, diffraction gratings formed at a distance from each other on the top of said semiconductor layer, and electrodes formed between the diffraction gratings on the top of said semiconductor and formed on the other side of the semiconductor body.
A photo-transistor includes a multi-apertured collector electrode disposed on a semiconductor collector layer. A laser diode and a light pipe are provided for each aperture such that the light from the laser is transmitted to its associated aperture via the light pipe. Means are included for sequentially pulsing each laser so as to cause a high-frequency intermittent current in the photo-transistor piece of molybdenum 88 which provides improved current flow and heat sinking for the transistor 10.
The optoelectronic interconnection of the present invention provides a means for interconnecting a plurality of integrated circuits and each having at least one termination. The termination includes a transmitting section and a receiving section. Each transmitting section includes means for converting an output electrical signal from the integrated circuit to an optical signal in the form of a beam and an output grating for emitting the optical beam from the integrated circuit. Each receiving section includes an input grating for receiving an input optical signal in the form of a beam, means for amplifying the optical signal and a photodetector for converting the optical signal to an electrical signal which is fed to the circuit. The integrated circuits may be mounted adjacent each other with the output signals being emitting from the integrated circuits in the same direction. A reflector is mounted over the integrated circuits to reflect an output signal beam from the transmitting section of one integrated circuit to the receiving section of another integrated circuit. Each of the transmitting sections is capable of varying the angle at which the output signal beam is emitted therefrom so as to varying the integrated circuit to which the beam is reflected.
An optical grating is provided by the deposition of thin layers of alternating materials on a substrate, the cross-section of which provides a three-dimensional grating. In one embodiment an alternating layered structure is provided by vacuum deposition of optically differing materials on a planar substrate, thereby to provide alternating layers defining planes parallel one to the other. The resulting structure is sectioned and polished such that the exposed adjacent ends of the alternating layers provide either a reflective or transmission grating of exceptional precision and accuracy due to the linear sharply-defined interfaces between adjacent exposed layers. In one embodiment, the finished structure is utilized as an optical coupler for coupling light into and out of an optical integrated circuit. In another embodiment, the grating is incorporated into a substrate over which an optical waveguide or an electro-optical element may be formed.
A method (100) and process (120) for extending the optical bandwidth of an optical signal splitter/amplifier (160) that includes optical amplifier material and an multi-mode interference splitter. A wider bandwidth is obtained by equalizing both the gain and noise figures for the splitter/amplifier (160) as a function of the perfect focus wavelength of the splitter and the amplified spontaneous emission spectra of the gain material. The peak wavelength of the semiconductor optical amplifier material is offset a distance from the perfect focus wavelength so that the net gain of the splitter/amplifier (160) is the semiconductor gain multiplied by the insertion loss of the splitter.
The invention relates to a power threshold optoelectronic switch and its control process. Under the action of a pulse-type light beam, as from a given power threshold, said switch makes it possible to establish a short-circuit between first and second electrodes spaced so as to form an interelectrode gap. The switch comprises means for applying a supply voltage to the first electrode, a semiconducting guiding layer placed on an insulating substrate, whereby the electrodes are placed on said layer and an optical diffraction grating etched in the guiding layer in the interelectrode gap. The nature and thickness of the guiding layer and the spacing of the grating, as well as the angle of incidence of the beam are chosen so as to obtain, during the passage of power of the light beam through the power threshold, the rapid passage from a very weak coupling state of the incident light in the guiding layer to a resonant coupling making it possible to produce the short-circuit.
