Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for controlling propagation of electrical charges using multiple coherent light beams

US5790296A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
4References
24Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 1996
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 20, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/0126
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating and controlling the propagation of electrons in a semiconductor material using a plurality of beams of coherent light is disclosed. The direction and magnitude of propagation of the electrons in the semiconductor are controlled by varying the polarization of the coherent beams with respect to the semiconductor material, and in particular the crystallographic axis of the semiconductor material. The electrons are generated and controlled by use of three coherent beams which are related such that the frequency of one of the beams is substantially equal to the sum of the frequencies of the other beams, and the first beam produces substantially the same number of electrons in the semiconductor material that the other beams produce together. A selected region of the semiconductor material is simultaneously irradiated with all of the beams of light. The semiconductor material is at approximately room temperature. Holes are also generated and propagate in a direction opposite to the direction of propagation of the electrons.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.