Coupled injection microlasers with saturable absorber as optical model of a neuron

A laser structure consisting of several coupled injection lasers with saturable absorber, running in a hard mode of turn on, is discussed as optical model of a neuron. The essential properties of two principal neuron components, axon and soma, may be simulated by such a structure. The vertical cavity surface emitting lasers with two parallel p-n junctions are considered as the most convenient active elements for this structure. ©2005 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.