Optoelectronic device, single-photon generator, memory, multiplexer, implant and associated methods

A method for operating an optoelectronic device including a first portion, a second portion, a first contact and a second contact, the first portion being made of a first semiconductor material having a first type of doping out of n-type doping and p-type doping, the second portion being made of a second semiconductor material having a second type of doping out of n-type doping and p-type doping, the second type of doping being different than the first type of doping, the first portion and the second portion being in contact with one another and forming a p/n junction including a depletion zone in the first portion, the first contact being electrically connected to the first portion, the second contact being electrically connected to the second portion,

• an ionization energy being defined for dopants of the second portion, the ionization energy being a difference in energy between an energy level of the dopants and an energy level of the conduction band for a material of the n type and being a difference in energy between an energy level of the valence band and an energy level of the dopants for a material of the p type, the method including a first step during which an electric voltage between the first contact and the second contact has a first value and the depletion zone has an initial dimension,
• the method including steps of:
• illuminating the second portion with an electromagnetic radiation having a photon energy greater than the ionization energy of the dopants of the second portion and modifying the electric voltage from the first value to a second value while the second portion is illuminated,
• modifying the dimension of the depletion zone in response to the modification of the value of the electric voltage ,
• stopping the illumination,
• modifying the voltage from the second value to the first value in the absence of illumination, the dimension of the depletion zone remaining unchanged, and
• illuminating the second portion with the radiation, the voltage having the first value, and modifying in response the dimension of the depletion zone to the initial dimension.