Bit Storage via Electro-optical Feedback

An electro-optical binary storage device has been built which consists of a vacuum diode containing a photocathode and a phosphoranode. The device is capable of storing both optical and electrical information pulses. The present paper comprises a description of the behavior and construction of the prototype diode, an empirical derivation of a criterion for the conditions of stable feedback, and a numerical calculation for the case of two electrode pairs. Briefly mentioned are the possibility of high speed storage of digital information, the problem of self-triggering, the applicability of the criterion to solid state devices, and the analogous bistable behavior of a radio frequency triggered neon diode.