High speed electron tunneling device and applications

A modulator for modulating an input electromagnetic radiation incident thereon and providing a modulated electromagnetic radiation at an output, said input electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a wavelength range from infrared to visible, said modulator comprising:

• a voltage source for providing a modulation voltage, which modulation voltage is switchable between first and second voltage values;
• and
• an assembly including
• a diode configured to receive said modulation voltage;
• and
• an antenna structure configured for absorbing a given fraction of the input electromagnetic radiation with a given value of absorptivity, while a remainder of the input electromagnetic radiation is reflected by the antenna structure, said absorptivity being defined as a ratio of an intensity of the given fraction to a total intensity of the input electromagnetic radiation,
• wherein said diode is further configured to cooperate with antenna structure such that the antenna structure exhibits a first value of absorptivity, when said diode receives said first voltage value of modulation voltage, and exhibits a distinct, second value of absorptivity, when said diode receives said second voltage value of modulation voltage, thereby causing the antenna structure to reflect a different amount of the input electromagnetic radiation to the output as modulated electromagnetic radiation having a given value of contrast ratio, with respect to the modulation voltage, said contrast ratio being defined as a ratio of said first value of absorptivity to said second value of absorptivity.

A field effect transistor for receiving an external signal, switching an input signal according to the received, external signal and providing an output signal, said external signal being switchable between a first value and a second value, said field effect transistor comprising:

• a diode structure including
• i) a source electrode for receiving said input signal,
• ii) a drain electrode spaced apart from said source electrode such that a given voltage can be applied across the source and drain electrodes, and
• iii) an arrangement disposed between the source and drain electrodes and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said source and drain electrodes, said arrangement including at least a first amorphous layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling with a given value of a tunneling probability,
• a shielding layer at least partially surrounding said diode structure;
• and
• a gate electrode disposed adjacent to said shielding layer, said gate electrode being configured to receive said external signal and to apply said external signal as said bias voltage across said source and drain electrodes such that, when said first value of external signal is received at the gate electrode, a first signal value is provided as the output signal at the drain electrode and, when said second value of external signal is received at the gate electrode, a second signal value is provided as the output signal at the drain electrode and said output signal exhibits a given output ratio, which output ratio is defined as the ratio of the first signal value to the second signal value.