Optical computing and interconnects

Abstract

This paper discusses the present status of optical computing and interconnects, including device technology, and recent progress in three types of optical computing-analog, digital, and neural-is introduced. Examples of technologies used in an analog computing system, a technique for the optimal design of coherent phase-only spatial filters, and a new version of incoherent filtering are presented. The use of the modified sign digit number representation and its applications to digital optical computing are also described. Some architectures for optical neural computing are introduced, and the importance of optical interconnect technology in parallel computing is stressed. Permutation techniques, the board-to-board level interconnection techniques, and switching techniques are reviewed. Recent developments in optoelectronic devices and passive optical elements are outlined and finally some technological issues in optical computing and interconnects for practical use are discussed.