Optical signal amplification

摘要

A method of optical signal amplification. Incident photons are received at a photodetector including a doped semiconductor biased by a power source. The photons generate a change in a reflective property, refractive index, or electrical conductivity of the doped semiconductor. For the change in reflective property or refractive index, a first optical signal is reflected off the photodetector to provide a reflected beam, or the photodetector includes a reverse biased semiconductor junction including the doped semiconductor within a laser resonator including a laser medium, wherein a second optical signal is emitted. For the change in electrical conductivity the photodetector includes a reversed biased semiconductor junction that is within an electrical circuit along with an electrically driven light emitting device, where a drive current provided to the light emitting device increases as the electrical conductivity of the photodetector decreases, and the light emitting device emits a third optical signal.

主权项

1. A method of optical signal amplification, comprising:
receiving incident photons at a first surface of a photodetector that includes at least a first doped semiconductor which is biased by a power source, wherein said incident photons are in a wavelength range which generates a change in a reflective property of said first doped semiconductor and reflecting a first optical signal off said photodetector to provide a reflected beam, or said photodetector includes a semiconductor junction including said first doped semiconductor and a second doped semiconductor, said semiconductor junction being reverse biased by said power source to provide a reversed biased semiconductor junction that is within a laser resonator including a laser medium, wherein a second optical signal is emitted from said laser resonator.