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US 7,443,902 B2Granted
Laser-based optical switches and logic
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorAxel Scherer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical switches and logic devices comprising microstructure-doped nanocavity lasers are described. These switches and logic devices have gain and thus can be cascaded and integrated in a network or system such as for example on a chip. Exemplary switching elements switch the intensity, wavelength, or direction of the output. Exemplary logic devices include AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NOT, and XOR gates as well as flip-flops. Microfluidic sorting and delivery as well as optical tweezing and trapping may be employed to select and position a light emitter in a nanooptical cavity to form the nanolaser.
Claims43
An optical logic device comprising:
- a laser comprising an optical resonator and a quantum dot therein, said optical resonator comprising counter-opposing microstructure-doped mirror portions, said quantum dot disposed between said mirror portions, said microstructure-doped mirror portions comprising of a plurality of microstructures disposed in an optically transmissive structure;
- an optical pump disposed with respect to said optical resonator to pump said quantum dot;
- at least one optical input port to couple light into said laser;
- and
- at least one optical output port to couple light out of said laser;
- wherein said laser has at least a first state and a second state that affect a characteristic of light coupled out said at least one optical output port, light coupled into said at least one optical input port switching said laser from said first state to said second state.
3 more elements
An optical logic device comprising:
- a laser comprising an optical resonator and a gain region therein, said optical resonator comprising counter-opposing microstructure-doped mirror portions, said gain region disposed between said mirror portions, said microstructure-doped mirror portions comprising of a plurality of microstructures disposed in an optically transmissive structure;
- a pump disposed with respect to said optical resonator to pump said gain region;
- at least one optical input port disposed with respect to said optical resonator to couple light into said gain region;
- and
- at least one optical output port disposed with respect to said optical resonator to couple light out of said gain region;
- wherein said laser has at least a first state and a second state that affect a characteristic of light coupled out said at least one optical output port, light coupled into said at least one optical input port switching said laser from said first state to said second state and wherein said optically transmissive structure comprises a quantum well structure and said microstructures comprise holes in said quantum well structure.
3 more elements
A laser optical logic device comprising:
- a laser comprising a quantum dot comprising a first material and configured to emit light of a selected wavelength, said quantum dot having microstructure-doped mirror portions on at least four sides, said mirror portions comprising a second material that is substantially transparent to the selected wavelength, said laser comprising said mirror portions;
- a pump disposed with respect to said quantum dot to pump said quantum dot;
- at least one optical input port to couple light into said laser;
- and
- at least one optical output port to couple light out of said laser;
- wherein said laser has at least a first state and a second state that affect a characteristic of light coupled out said at least one optical output port, light coupled into said at least one optical input port switching said laser from said first state to said second state, and
- wherein said first material comprises PbS or HgTe and said second material comprises silicon.
4 more elements
A laser optical logic device comprising:
- a laser comprising a light emitter comprising a first material and configured to emit light of a selected wavelength, said light emitter being physically embedded in an optically transmissive structure and having microstructure-doped mirror portions on at least four sides, said mirror portions comprising a second material that is substantially transparent to the selected wavelength, said laser comprising said optically transmissive structure;
- a pump disposed with respect to said light emitter to pump said light emitter;
- at least one optical input port to couple light into said laser;
- and
- at least one optical output port to couple light out of said laser;
- wherein said laser has at least a first state and a second state that affect a characteristic of light coupled out said at least one optical output port, light coupled into said at least one optical input port switching said laser from said first state to said second state, and
- wherein said first material comprises PbS or HgTe and said second material comprises silicon.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.