Monolithic optoelectronic switch based on the integration of a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor and a GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

We describe the design and the first experimental demonstration of a monolithic integrated optoelectronic switch combining a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) with a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The switch has high current gain (500-700), low power dissipation (27 and 55 mW DC at optical output levels of 0.4 and 1.2 mW, respectively), and a high optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency (150 W/A) under DC bias conditions, thus providing a high-performance electrical-to-optical interface for high-speed optical interconnections.>