Programmable optical logic devices operable by measuring the ratio of optical data signal power to optical reference threshold power

An arrangement for performing a logic operation on an optical data signal, said arrangement including:

• first and second photodiodes connected together in series cascade as a self electrooptic effect device having a predetermined threshold, at least said first photodiode including a semiconductor quantum well region, said first photodiode for generating an optical output signal having first and second levels;
• means for generating an optical reference threshold signal, said optical reference threshold signal being incident upon said second photodiode to control the logic operation being performed by the arrangement to be logical inversion of said optical data signal;
• said optical data signal being incident upon said first photodiode;
• and
• the arrangement for generating said optical output signal at said first level when a ratio of optical reference threshold signal power to total optical data signal power exceeds the predetermined threshold and for generating said optical output signal at said second level when a ratio of total optical data signal power to optical reference threshold signal power exceeds the predetermined threshold.

An arrangement for performing a Boolean logic operation on first and second optical data signals, said arrangement including first and second logic gates and a logic memory element:

• first and second logic gates, each gate comprising first and second photodiodes connected together in series cascade as a self electrooptic effect device having a predetermined threshold, at least said first photodiode including a semiconductor quantum well region, said first photodiode for generating an optical output signal having first and second levels;
• said first and second optical data signals being incident upon said second photodiode;
• means for generating an optical reference threshold signals, one of said optical reference threshold signals being incident upon said first photodiode to control the Boolean logic operation being performed by each logic gate;
• each logic gate for generating said optical output signal at said first level when a ratio of optical reference threshold signal power to total optical data signal power exceeds the predetermined threshold and for generating said optical output signal at said second level when a ratio of total optical data signal power to optical reference threshold signal power exceeds the predetermined threshold;
• said first logic gate for performing a logical AND operation of said first and second optical data signals wherein each optical data signal has a first power level, p.sub.0, representing a first logical state and a second power level, p.sub.1, representing a second logical state, and said optical reference threshold signal power supplied to said first logic gate is greater than p.sub.0 +p.sub.1 and is less than 2p.sub.1, where p.sub.1 >p.sub.0, and said second logic gate for performing a logical OR operation of said first and second optical data signals wherein said optical reference threshold signal power supplied to said second logic gate is greater than 2p.sub.0 and is less than p.sub.0 +p.sub.1 ;
• said logic memory element comprising third and fourth photodiodes connected together in series cascade as a self electrooptic effect device having a predetermined threshold, at least said third photodiode including a semiconductor quantum well region, said third photodiode for generating an optical output signal having first and second levels, said optical output signal from said first logic gate being supplied to said third photodiode and said output signal from said second logic gate being supplied to said fourth photodiode;
• said arrangement for generating said optical output signal from said logic memory element as an exclusive-OR function of said first and second optical data signals.