Devices and Systems for Nonlinear Optical Information Processing

摘要

The principal thrust of this research effort is the development and evaluation of optical devices and associated systems architectures for the implementation of highly parallel nonlinear optical information processing functions such as thresholding, level slicing, logarithms, and power laws. Such devices include the Variable Grating Mode Liquid Crystal Device (VGM LCD), which is uniquely capable of performing a novel and powerful intensity-to-position encoding function. A related and evolving research thrust is the detailed analysis of both the fundamental and technological limitations that affect the performance of envisioned optical information processing and computing devices and systems, for both linear and nonlinear function implementation. The primary objective here is to compare and contrast electronic and optical (as well as hybrid electro-optical or optoelectronic) devices, circuits, and systems with respect to their current, near term projected, and ultimate computational capabilities. The demonstrable goal of such an effort is to be able (on the basis of the above analyses) to segregate classes of problems most appropriate for solution by electronic, optical, or hybrid processors, subject to specific and pre-defined performance metrics. Keywords: Optical computing, Spatial light modulators. (kr)