Omron Tateisi Electronics Co.

Haruo Misumi

Hiroshi Ogawa

Katsuhiko Oimura

Naotake Nagao

A bistable optical device integrated onto a semiconductor chip with a photoresponsive element receiving an input light signal and connected electrically to a photo emitting element so that the reverse current produced in the photoresponsive element by the input light signal causes light emission which is incident upon the photoresponsive element to increase reverse current by positive feedback, resulting in change from a low to high light output at a first change value of input light and a high to low output at a second and lower change value. A light modulator is formed between the elements to receive an input light signal and vary the amount of light received by the photoresponsive element from the photo emitting device and hence the change values.

Optical bistable device

An input light signal is guided to a light receiving element by an input optical fiber, and converted into an electric signal. This electric signal is converted again into an optical signal by a light emitting element, and this optical signal is optically and positively fed back to the light receiving element by a partially reflecting film between the light emitting element and an output optical fiber. In this way, the input optical signal can be electrically or optically converted in a two-valued state at the output side of the light receiving element or light emitting element.

Growing community of inventors

Joyo, Japan

Haruo Misumi