Optoelectronic switches and multigigabit 8:1 time multiplexer

Optoelectronic metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) switches in InP were studied and used as sampling elements in a digital time division multiplexer. It was found that switch performance can range from the depletion-layer photodiode to the photoconductor regime as the activating light intensity increases. The multiplexer had an 8:1 ratio, a 2-V signal bias, >25-dB S/N, and a serial rate of at least 2.5 Gb/s. This multiplexer with its high S/N and the timing stability intrinsic to fiber delay lines will be advantageous for high-speed digital communications.< >