OPFET-LAOS: A new optoelectronic integrated device for light amplifying optical switch

Abstract

A new optoelectronic integrated device composed of an Optical Field Effect Transistor (OPFET) in series with a double heterojunction light emitting diode (LED) or a laser liode (LD) which can be used as a Light Amplifying Optical Switch (LAOS), is presented in this paper. We shall call this device as OPFET-LAOS since it is a new one in its category. Theoretical investigation has been carried out to develop the I-V characteristic of the proposed device. It is shown theoretically that the device changes its state form a low current (i.e. high impedance) state to a high current (i.e. low impedance) state through a region of negative differential resistance (NDR) when the applied voltage exceeds a certain limit, called the breakover voltage. Thus, the I-V characteristic of the device is similar to that of an existing LAOS composed of a heterojunction phototransistor (HPT) in series with a double heterojunction LED (or LD).