Abstract

We describe a high-speed optoelectronic transceiver and optical switch and its integration into arrays for spatial routing and logic applications. It is based on the integrated device technology of three-terminal AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The switch functioning as a transceiver converts an optical input into electrical data or converts an electrical input to optical data. Functioning as an optical switch, it regenerates the input optical data and routes the optical output to different destinations by using a binary switching configuration.¹ The different functionalities of this switch have been experimentally demonstrated at data rates of 200 to 500 Mbit/s. A significant improvement in the high-speed- modulation response of an integrated HPT/VCSEL switch with a small-signal modulation bandwidth of 4 GHz has been achieved for what we believe to be the first time.

© 1995 Optical Society of America