High-speed low-power photonic transistor devices based on optically-controlled gain or absorption to affect optical interference

We show that a photonic transistor device can be realized via the manipulation of optical interference by optically controlled gain or absorption in novel ways, resulting in efficient transistor signal gain and switching action. Exemplary devices illustrate two complementary device types with high operating speed, μm size, μW switching power, and switching gain. They can act in tandem to provide a wide variety of operations including wavelength conversion, pulse regeneration, and logical operations. These devices could have a Transistor Figure-of-Merits >10⁵ times higher than current χ⁽³⁾ approaches and are highly attractive.