Modules and methods for all photonic computing

Details Modules and methods for all photonic computing Modules and methods for all photonic computing

1999-09-30

2001-01-23

Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)

Optical: systems and elements

Optical computing without diffraction

C359S108000, C708S191000, C708S831000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178020

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of optical computing and processing, and in particular, to solving partial differential equations with all photonic computing modules and all photonic methods for computing.
2. Description of Related Art
State of the art data processing and computational technologies have been enabled by the advances made in electronics, leading to increasing speed and power of digital computers. To obtain even higher speeds, a shift towards using parallel arrays of electronic computers has begun due to the limitations imposed by the smallest size, and therefore highest density, of manufacturable elements on a single processing chip.
A potentially revolutionizing force will be the utilization of photonic devices due to their high speed, large bandwidth, large volume data handling, compactness, low power consumption, ruggedness, and better isolation as compared with semiconductor electronics. Furthermore, photonic devices have an inherent capability for parallel computing in that every pixel of a two-dimensional (2-D) image can be processed at the same time.
For applications in engineering and science, the dominate portion of the available computation capacity is, and will be in the future, engaged in solving differential equations (PDEs). The solution of PDEs by computing apparatus can be accomplished effectively as an iterative process, requiring in many instances extraordinary computing capacity and speed. Differential equations govern the nature and behavior of physical systems and are thus crucial to understanding existing systems and designing new ones. For example, differential equations can be used to describe the flow of blood in the human body, the hydrodynamics of nuclear explosions, the aerodynamics of air flow over the wings of a plane, the propagation of electrons through semiconductors, the flexure of mechanical elements in buildings or bridges, and many other phenomena involving wave propagation, diffusion, heat transfer, hydrodynamics.
Electro-optical devices have been considered favorably as a means for information processing, as noted in the review article by M. A. Karim and A. S. Awwal, “Electro optic Displays for Optical Information Processing,”
Proceedings of the IEEE
84, p. 814, et seq. (1996) Nevertheless, no prior all photonic element computer module capable of solving differential equations exists, nor does any all photonic element computer module exist which is capable of closely related tasks. Only conventional electronic computers have been used to solve differential equations. The possibility of solving partial differential equations by optical means has been recognized, as noted by Karim and Awwal at page 823.
Optical Fourier transform and optical multiplication devices have been utilized in optical image processing and pattern recognition applications. These are discussed in the review by B. Javidi and J. L. Horner, eds.
Real
-
Time Optical Information Processing,
(Academic Press, New York, 1994).
The Essex Corporation has patented a particular implementation of an device which takes input of a function and performs the Fourier transformation, detecting and outputting the complex result.
Although the prior art is replete with hopeful predictions of what ought to be possible, and some limited progress in photonic computing has been made, there are no known descriptions, plans or designs which provide a full implementation of an all photonic computer module, which in particular addresses all the issues needing to be resolved in order to achieve an iterative solution of PDEs utilizing the Fourier transformation. Accordingly, a long-felt need for such an all photonic computer module, capable of solving PDEs in an interactive manner, is clearly established.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Modules and method for all photonic computing in accordance with the inventive arrangements satisfy the long-felt need of the prior art for an all photonic solution to complex PDEs, which is markedly faster and more efficient than is possible with presently available electronic computers.
In accordance with the inventive arrangements, and in recognition of the scientific and economic importance of solving differential equations, the appropriate algorithms for solving PDEs and at the same time capable of being implemented with only optical and electro-optical components have been selected. In order to implement such algorithms, modules and methods for all photonic computing in accordance with the inventive arrangements use practical optical and electro-optical devices, can be miniaturized, and can be replicated to produce large parallel arrays of modules, in order to achieve greatly increased computational power for a wide range of applications.
A tremendous operational speed advantage over conventional electronic computers can be realized for broad classes of engineering and science applications by taking advantage of the inherent speed and parallelism of an all photonic element computer module. The presently preferred embodiments, as taught herein, are capable of solving partial differential equations. The operations necessary to obtain these solutions are implemented using practical optical and electro-optical devices such as lenses and electronically or optically addressable spatial light modulators. The modules can be miniaturized and connected to form parallel arrays to further increase potential computational speeds and can be applied to solve other classes of mathematical, computational, processing, and simulation problems.
A photonic computing module, in accordance with the inventive arrangements, comprises: a first optical/electro-optical element; means for encoding the first optical/electro-optical element with a two dimensional mathematical function representing input data; a second optical/electro-optical element having a characteristic response corresponding to an iterative algorithm useful for solving a partial differential equation; an optical/electro-optical recirculation means including at least one of light delaying means and light boosting means; means for optically or electro-optically collecting output data; a first gate having a first and second modes of operation, the first mode of operation enabling light from the illuminated first optical/electro-optical element to illuminate the second optical/electro-optical element and the second mode of operation enabling light from the recirculation means to illuminate the second optical/electro-optical element; a second gate having first and second modes of operation, the first mode of operation enabling light from the illuminated second optical/electro-optical element to illuminate the collecting means and the second mode of operation enabling light from the illuminated second optical/electro-optical element to illuminate the feedback path; and, means for controlling the first and second gates such that after a beam of collimated light initially illuminates the first optical/electro-optical element and the first optical/electro-optical element initially illuminates the second optical/electro-optical element, an optical/electro-optical iterative solution path is formed by the second optical/electro-optical element, the second gate, the optical/electro-optical feedback path and the first gate, until after a predetermined number of iterations the second optical/electro-optical element illuminates the optical/electro-optical collecting means.
The photonic computing module can further comprise a plurality of optical/electro-optical elements operatively disposed between the first and second gates for performing a plurality of respective iterative functions. The respective iterative functions can comprise at least one of matrix multiplication, Fourier transform and reverse Fourier transform.
The photonic computing module can further comprise an optical phase detector operatively disposed between the second gate and the optical/electro-optical collecting means, the optical/electro-optical phase detector separating real and imaginary parts of the

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