LJUSAKTIVERAD LJUSEMITTERANDE ANORDNING MED ATMINSTONE EN P-N-OVERGANG

摘要

A light-activated light-emitting device has at least one p-n junction provided with electrodes for confining light-emission to an area of the junction. It has been determined that light-emission can be activated by light impinging on the junction outside this confined area, so two optical fibers are provided, one being an input fiber for bringing activating light to the nonemitting sensitive part of the junction and the other fiber being an output fiber coupled to the light-emitting area. When the device is a p-n-p-n light-activated light-emitting switch provided with an RCL reset control circuit, a very inexpensive unidirectional optical pulse regenerator is obtained. The device in its various forms is advantageously suited for use in each of many stations along optical fiber data busses or in optical logic arrays because the unidirectional feature prevents light feedback between adjacent devices and consequently avoids spurious switching of a preceding device.