Abstract

Optical logic devices based on semiconductor laser amplifiers will play an important role in future photonic switching systems. In particular, they will be used for the routing of high data rate optical signals in a network, for high speed interconnections within high speed digital systems which involve distributed and parallel computing, within the telephone switch of an advanced communication system, and in signal processing and digital optical computing. In this paper, we study the sensitivity of a bistable diode laser amplifier when used as an optical regenerator or when used as a high sensitivity optical receiver.

© 1991 Optical Society of America