Research in optical information technology in Europe has
been very active inrecent years. This volume records
state-of-the-art research conducted in some 22 laboratories
who have worked together within EC ESPRIT Basic Research
Action 3199 up to 1992. The topics cover:
(1) Active optical logic and switching devices - embracing
new materials, nonlinear and electrooptic mechanisms as well
as advanced device fabrication. These devices cover the
range from all-optical nonlinear interferometer structures
through hybrid optical-electronic modulators to integrated
emitter-receiver structures.
(2) The latest state of optical interconnect technology,
embracing diffractive optics (binary and multi-level phase
gratings), holographic space-variant elements and
micro-refractive optics.
(3) Contributions on optical information processing
architecture and demonstrator projects. The materials base
ranges from silicon to II-VI materials with the realisation
of pn-junction devices in ZnSe.
The research reported here lays the basis for long-term
progress in devices for information processing.