Photovoltaic-ferroelectric materials for the realization of all-optical devices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that ferroelectric and photovoltaic crystals can function as optical transistors at room temperature, enabling all-optical computing and data processing through light-induced nonlinear effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using ferroelectric photovoltaic crystals as optical transistors that operate without coherence, advancing all-optical device technology.

Findings

Crystals act as photonic transistors with memory effects.

Light-induced charge alters internal electric fields, affecting transmission.

Enables room-temperature all-optical logic and computing.

Abstract

Following how the electrical transistor revolutionized the field of electronics,the realization of an optical transistor in which the flow of light is controlled optically should open the long-sought era of optical computing and new data processing possibilities. However, such function requires photons to influence each other, an effect which is unnatural in free space. Here it is shown that a ferroelectric and photovoltaic crystal gated optically at the onset of its bandgap energy can act as a photonic transistor. The light-induced charge generation and distribution processes alter the internal electric field and therefore impact the optical transmission with a memory effect and pronounced nonlinearity. The latter results in an optical computing possibility, which does not need to operate coherently. These findings advance efficient room temperature optical transistors, memristors, modulators and all-optical logic circuits.