| 摘要 |
<p>A tri-state optical device 400 is disclosed having photodiodes 401 and 402 with respective quantum-wells 403 and 404 in the intrinsic regions. The photodiodes are connected in series with a bipolar switch 406 and a source of electrical potential 405 for emitting a pair of optical output beams having various combinations of power levels depending on the state of the bipolar switch and the ratio of two optical control beams incident on the photodiodes. In one state of the tri-state device with the bipolar switch in a conducting state, the two output beams have complementary high and low power levels representing, for example, high and low logic levels "1" and "0". In a second state, the power levels of the two output beams are reversed, thus exhibiting complementary and symmetric output power levels. In the third state when the bipolar switch of the tri-state device in in a nonconducting state, the output beams both exhibit a low power level, and the tri-state device is nonresponsive to the power levels of the optical control beams.</p> |
