Abstract

Two-dimensional photonic switch arrays with functions in each pixel, which are called "smart pixels," have great potential for use in the construction of optical interconnections and parallel processing systems. Semiconductor optoelectronic integration approaches to designing smart pixels use either a passive modulator such as the surface-normal MQW modulator¹ or an active emitter such as the vertical-cavity-surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).² In this paper, we report a smart pixel design integrating GaAs MESFETs and photodetectors, and compare modulator-based and VCSEL-based smart pixels with respect to optical switching power, electric power consumption, and switching speed.

© 1995 IEEE