Content deleted Content added
→top: Need ref, and not from real long ago (when it may have appeared true). |
m Dating maintenance tags: {{CN}} |
||
Line 1:
An '''optical transistor''', also known as an [[optical switch]] or a [[light]] [[valve]], is a device that switches or amplifies [[signal#Analog_and_digital_signals|optical signals]]. Light occurring on an optical transistor’s input changes the intensity of light emitted from the transistor’s output while output power is supplied by an additional optical source. Since the input signal intensity may be weaker than that of the source, an optical transistor amplifies the optical signal. The device is the optical analog of the [[transistor|electronic transistor]] that forms the basis of modern electronic devices. Optical transistors provide a means to control light using only light and has applications in [[optical computing]] and [[fiber-optic communication]] networks. Such technology has the potential to exceed the speed of electronics{{CN|date=March 2020}}, while saving more [[Power (physics)|power]].
Since [[photons]] inherently do not interact with each other, an optical transistor must employ an operating medium to mediate interactions. This is done without converting optical to electronic signals as an intermediate step. Implementations using a variety of operating mediums have been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. However, their ability to compete with modern electronics is currently limited.
| |||