OPTICAL AMPLIFICATION IN A PLANAR MULTICHANNEL MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER BASED ON METAL-SEMICONDUCTOR-METAL STRUCTURES

This paper describes a new optoelectronic device-an optical transistor that provides power amplification of output visible radiation. The op tical transistor is structurally based on a metallized semiconductor p late with a microchannel gap in the form of a planar Mach-Zehnder inte rferometer. A device of the light-light type is controlled by modulati ng the refractive index in one arm of the interferometer. (C) 1998 Ame rican Institute of Physics. [S1063-7850(98)02101-6].