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Light activated optical circuits have several key advantages over conventional electronics because they are free from electrical current losses, resistive heat dissipation, and friction forces that greatly diminish system performance and efficiency. The effects of current leakage and power loss are also crucial design constaints in developing micro-electromechanical (MEMS) technology. An essential device for creating viable micro-optical circuitry is a robust photonic transistor that can act as a small signal switch and amplifier. The proposed photonic transistor is based on the complementary suppression-modulated light transmission properties of thin bacteriorhodopsin (bR) films. The light transmission properties exhibited by the thin film are controlled using the variable wavelength and intensity of the impinging light soruces. The light transmisison properties of the bR film are illustrated using a mathematical model for the two-state photoreaction system. The two-state model represents the longest lifetime in the bR photocycle, largest change in absorption maxima, and high photochemical stability. The optical response is proportional to changes in the light transmission properties of the biometrical, and therefore represents a viable material for creating optoelectronic devices.
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