Transistor laser
Transistor laser is a semiconductor device that functions as a transistor with an electrical output and an optical output, as opposed to the typical two electrical outputs. This optical output separates it from typical transistors and, because optical signals travel faster than electrical signals, has the potential to speed up computing immensely. Researchers who discovered the transistor laser developed a new model of Kirchhoff's current law to better model the behavior of simultaneous optical and electrical output.
Discovery
The team credited with discovering the transistor laser was headed by
Construction of transistor
The transistor laser functions like a typical transistor, but emits infrared light through one of its outputs rather than electricity. A reflective cavity within the device focuses the emitted light into a laser beam. The transistor laser is a
The laser output of the device works when the quantum well in the base region captures electrons that would normally be sent out through the electrical output. These electrons then undergo a process of
The device was initially constructed out of layers of indium gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide, and indium gallium arsenide, which prevented the device from running without being cooled with liquid nitrogen.[3] Current materials allow for operation at 25 °C[8] and continuous wave operation (continuously emitting light)[9] at 3 GHz.[7] The transistor laser can produce laser output without any resonance peak in the frequency response. It also does not suffer from unwanted self-resonance that results in errors in transmitted information that would necessitate complicated external circuitry to rectify.[8]
Potential to speed up computers
Even though the transistor laser is still only the subject of research, there has been a significant amount of speculation as to what one could be used for, especially in computing. For instance, its
Changing Kirchhoff's Laws
The research team that discovered the transistor laser claimed that one of Kirchhoff’s laws would have to be reconstructed to include energy conservation, as opposed to just
References
- ^ a b "| Department of Physics at the U of I". physics.illinois.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-01-25.
- ^ Kloeppel, James E. "News Bureau | University of Illinois." New Light-emitting Transistor Could Revolutionize Electronics Industry. News Bureau, 5 Jan. 2004. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://news.illinois.edu/news/04/0105LET.html>.
- ^ a b c d "New Transistor Laser Could Lead To Faster Signal Processing." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 Nov. 2004. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041123210820.htm>.
- ^ Rowe, Martin. "Transistor Laser Could Change Communications." TMWorld. Test and Measurement World, 10 July 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://tmworld.com/design/manufacturing/4388168/Transistor-laser-could-change-communications>.
- ^ Troy, Charles T. "Transistor Laser Breaks the Law." Photonics Spectra. Laurin Publishing, Aug. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2012 <http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=43340>.
- ^ a b Holonyak, Nick, Jr., and Milton Feng. "The Transistor Laser." IEEE Spectrum. IEEE, Feb. 2006. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <https://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/the-transistor-laser/0>.
- ^ a b Feng, M., N. Holonyak, G. Walter, and R. Chan. "Room Temperature Continuous Wave Operation of a Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Laser." Applied Physics Letters 87.13 (2005): 131103-31103-3. Print.
- ^ a b c "The Transistor Laser: A Radical, Revolutionary Device." Compound Semiconductors Gallium Indium Arsenide Nitride LED InP SiC GaN. 01 Feb. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/csc/features-details.php?cat=features&id=19733050>.
- ^ Paschotta, Rüdiger. "Continuous-wave Operation." Article on Continuous-wave Operation, Cw. RP Photonics, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.rp-photonics.com/continuous_wave_operation.html>.
- ^ Then, H. W., N. Holonyak, Jr., and M. Feng. "Microwave Circuit Model of the Three-port Transistor Laser." JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 108 (2010): n. pag. Web.
- ^ "Redefining Electrical Current Law With the Transistor Laser." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 May. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512164335.htm>.