Optoelectronic clock generator producing high frequency optoelectronic pulse trains with variable frequency and variable duty cycle and low jitter

1. An optoelectronic pulse generator comprising:

a thyristor detector/emitter device having a thyristor structure formed in a resonant cavity on a substrate, an input port and an output port, the thyristor structure having four regions of changing conductivity type and an active region with at least one quantum well, the thyristor structure adapted to detect an input optical pulse supplied to said input port and to produce an output optical pulse via laser emission in response to the detected input optical pulse, said output optical pulse output via said output port; and

an optical feedback path, operably coupled between said output port and said input port, that supplies at least a portion of said output optical pulse produced by said thyristor detector/emitter device to said input port, thereby causing said thyristor detector/emitter device to produce a sequence of output optical pulses.

2. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein:

said thyristor structure produces a sequence of output electrical pulses corresponding to said sequence of output optical pulses.

3. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein:

said optical feedback path comprises a programmable optical delay line having a variable optical path length.

4. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said programmable optical delay line includes a network of in-plane waveguide structures and directional coupler devices.

5. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 4 , wherein:

said programmable optical delay line includes a plurality of digital optical modulators that minimize crosstalk produced during operation of said directional coupler devices.

6. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 4 , wherein:

said network of in-plane waveguide structures and directional coupler devices are integrally formed therewith on said substrate.

7. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 6 , further comprising:

transistor logic that controls operation of said directional couplers, said transistor logic integrally formed on said substrate.

8. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 6 , wherein:

said thyristor structure, in-plane waveguide structures and directional coupler devices are formed from a multilayer structure of group III-V materials.

9. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 6 , wherein:

said thyristor structure comprises a p-channel FET transistor formed on said substrate and an n-channel FET transistor formed atop said p-channel FET transistor.

10. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 9 , wherein:

said p-channel FET transistor comprises a modulation doped p-type quantum well structure, and wherein said n-channel FET transistor comprises a modulation doped n-type quantum well structure.

11. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said programmable optical delay line includes at least one optical amplifier.

12. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said programmable optical delay line includes an optical splitter that generates a an optical signal corresponding to said sequence of output optical pulses produced by said thyristor detector/emitter for output therefrom.

13. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a programmable pulse signal generator that produces a reference electrical pulse signal;

a phase comparator that generates an output signal representing a phase difference between a first clock signal derived from said sequence of output electrical pulses produced by said thyristor detector/emitter device and second clock signal derived from said reference electrical pulse signal produced by said programmable pulse generator; and

control logic for controlling said programmable optical delay line based upon said output signal generated by said phase comparator in order to minimize said phase difference to thereby realize a phase lock loop.

14. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said sequence of output optical pulses are output at a frequency which is adjusted by controlling said programmable optical delay line to change its optical path length.

15. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 14 , wherein:

a sequence of output electrical pulses that correspond to said sequence of output optical pulses are output at a frequency which is adjusted by controlling said programmable optical delay line to change its optical path length.

16. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said sequence of output optical pulses have a duty cycle which is controlled by varying a bias current level supplied to an injector terminal of said thyristor detector/emitter device.

17. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 16 , wherein:

a sequence of output electrical pulses that correspond to said sequence of output optical pulses have a duty cycle which is controlled by varying a bias current level supplied to an injector terminal of said thyristor detector/emitter device.

18. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 3 , wherein:

said sequence of output optical pulses have a duty cycle which is controlled by modulating optical power of pulses provided to said input port of said thyristor detector/emitter device.

19. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 18 , wherein:

a sequence of output electrical pulses that correspond to said sequence of output optical pulses have a duty cycle which is controlled by modulating optical power of pulses provided to said input port of said thyristor detector/emitter device.

20. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein:

said optical feedback path comprises an optical fiber operably coupled between said input port and said output port.

21. An optoelectronic pulse generator according to claim 1 , wherein:

said output port and said input port comprise a common port, and a reflective element redirects optical signals output from said common port back to said common port.