29-06-2012, 04:30 PM
Optical Computing Technology
[attachment=26164]
Introduction
Optical computing is the science of making computing work better using optics and related technologies”
Some researchers use “optoelectronic computing”
Why Do We Need Optical Computers?
Rapid growth of the Internet
Network speeds currently limited by electronic circuits
Terabit speeds are required
Traditional silicon circuits have a physical limit
Types of Optical Computer
Optical parallel digital computers
These would use the inherent parallelism of optical devices along with digital electronics for flexibility.
Optical neural computer
Neural computers compute in the sense that they have streams of input and output bits. They do not require anything resembling ordinary programming; if programming is done at all it is by dynamically changing the degree to which the individual nodes are connected.
Devices used for optical computing
Logic gates :
Logic gates are implemented optically by controlling the population inversion that occurs to produce lasing. A controlling laser is used to control the population inversion thus causing switching to occur.
Holographic truth table
– Destructive interference will light to be emitted or not based on phase relationship
Logic based on gratings
– 1 is represented by vertical grating causing light
– 0 is represented by horizontal grating causing darkness1
CONCLUSION
Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component.
Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured, including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory.
The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in optical mode.
[attachment=26164]
Introduction
Optical computing is the science of making computing work better using optics and related technologies”
Some researchers use “optoelectronic computing”
Why Do We Need Optical Computers?
Rapid growth of the Internet
Network speeds currently limited by electronic circuits
Terabit speeds are required
Traditional silicon circuits have a physical limit
Types of Optical Computer
Optical parallel digital computers
These would use the inherent parallelism of optical devices along with digital electronics for flexibility.
Optical neural computer
Neural computers compute in the sense that they have streams of input and output bits. They do not require anything resembling ordinary programming; if programming is done at all it is by dynamically changing the degree to which the individual nodes are connected.
Devices used for optical computing
Logic gates :
Logic gates are implemented optically by controlling the population inversion that occurs to produce lasing. A controlling laser is used to control the population inversion thus causing switching to occur.
Holographic truth table
– Destructive interference will light to be emitted or not based on phase relationship
Logic based on gratings
– 1 is represented by vertical grating causing light
– 0 is represented by horizontal grating causing darkness1
CONCLUSION
Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component.
Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured, including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory.
The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in optical mode.