Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controlled circuit
Patent
1981-08-27
1984-02-14
Nelms, David C.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controlled circuit
250213VT, H01J 4014, H01J 3150
Patent
active
044319142
ABSTRACT:
Picosecond switching of electric current in response to optical signals is obtained by conversion of the optical signal, such as an optical pulse, into a photoelectron burst (a photoelectronic signal) which is a faithful temporal replica of the optical signal. Electron optics increase the energy of the electrons of the photoelectronic signal which is imaged so as to illuminate essentially the entire gap formed between electrodes on a body of semiconductor material. The photoelectrons are absorbed in the semiconductor material to create throughout the gap a degenerate layer. The gap geometry and the image formed by the optical signal on a photocathode, which provides the photoelectronic signal, are such that space charge effects do not distort the photoelectronic signal and a temporal replica of the optical signal illuminates the entire gap. The gap geometry affords broad bandwidth operation. Due to the gain in the system, the high photoelectron energy obtainable after electron acceleration permits the use of large band gap semiconductor materials which have high dielectric strength and are not prone to thermal breakdown effects. By deflecting the photoelectrons across a plurality of side-by-side gaps on the semiconductor, extremely high speed demultiplexing of extremely high frequency optical signals (in picosecond samples) can be obtained.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3798453 (1974-03-01), McIlwain et al.
patent: 3805058 (1974-04-01), Glaenzer
patent: 3887810 (1975-06-01), Skaggs
patent: 3917943 (1975-11-01), Auston
patent: 4327285 (1982-04-01), Bradley
Mourou Gerard
Williamson Steven L.
Brophy Jere
Lukacher Martin
Nelms David C.
The University of Rochester
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