We report on recent theoretical and experimental results on n-i-p-i based smart pixels. We present first results on dynamical switching in these devices. In particular, we present 1.9 ns switching times at an optical power of 880 (mu) W for the photoconductive switch. This corresponds to a total switching energy of 1.7 pJ or 2.4 fJ/micrometers ² relative to the device area. A contrast of the electronic output signal larger than 10⁷ and a maximum dc gain exceeding 10⁶ is achieved. For an optical NOR gate -- composed of a photoconductive switch and an electroabsorptive n-i-p-i modulator -- we were able to demonstrate operation at optical switching energies of 2 pJ and switching times of 1 microsecond(s) . This corresponds to an opto-optical gain (fan out) of 750. The switching contrast of the optical output signal is 4.5:1.

Date Published: 11 May 1994
PDF: 15 pages
Proc. SPIE 2139, Quantum Well and Superlattice Physics V, (11 May 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.175701

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2139:
Quantum Well and Superlattice Physics V
Gottfried H. Doehler; Emil S. Koteles, Editor(s)