NON-VOLATILE OPTICAL MEMORY
NON-VOLATILE OPTICAL MEMORY
Systems and methods are provided for non-volatile optical storage devices that leverage photon avalanche-induced carrier trapping in semiconductor materials. Examples herein include a crystalline semiconductor layer disposed on a substrate and an amorphous layer disposed on the crystalline semiconductor layer. The crystalline semiconductor layer comprises an optical waveguide and a PN junction formed in the optical waveguide. An optical source is configured to emit light of a wavelength into the optical waveguide and a power source is configured to supply a first voltage bias across the PN junction that causes an amplitude of optical power of light emitted from the optical waveguide to change from a first amplitude to a second amplitude. The optical waveguide emits light at the second amplitude while the first voltage bias is supplied and after the first voltage bias is removed.