Operation of an optoelectronic AlGaAs/GaAs waveguide neuron

A novel monolithic AlGaAs/GaAs waveguide neuron is proposed and implemented with a Wannier-Stark superlattice in the core. Dynamic weighting, summing, and thresholding of signals is done by chip-level integration of modulators and a saturable absorber on a rib waveguide power combiner. At 780 nm (below the band gap) the range for synaptic weights is between 1 and -25 dB/mm for reverse bias below 7 V, and the modulation depth is 25 dB for the thresholding element. For a two-to-one neuron, the output-input range ratio is 25 dB.