OPTICAL SWITCHING MECHANISM-BASED ON CHARGE ACCUMULATION EFFECTS IN RESONANT-TUNNELING DIODES

We have identified the charge accumulation effects in a resonant tunne ling diode for the application of optical switching by observing the h ole tunneling peak under illumination with a Ti:sapphire laser. Two me chanisms, photocurrent and charge accumulation, are rigorously examine d to determine which one is the dominant effect for optical switching by comparing the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics for forward bia ses and reverse biases. It is believed that the hole accumulation effe ct in the depletion region, which results in the hole tunneling curren t, is responsible for the shift of the I-V curves. (C) 1995 American I nstitute of Physics.