Abstract

We report the construction of a device intended for programmable optical interconnection of multiple processors in a highly parallel computer. This device, which we refer to as the Holoswitch, is based on an array of solid optical switches (liquid crystal polarization switches and polarizing beam splitters), which direct a set of optical beams toward any of a selection of holograms. Each hologram, when selected, deflects the input beams toward an array of detectors or collection optics with any desired prerecorded permutation. We expect that, out of the enormous number of permutations that are possible with many (~1000) input channels, only a tiny subset represents useful interconnection patterns in a computer. Thus a modest number of holograms is sufficient for many parallel computing algorithms. We describe the construction of a prototype device with nine different interconnection patterns recorded on a single 4- × 5-in. DCG hologram. Each permutation pattern handles 64 optical channels in an area of 4 cm2. Switching the liquid crystal cells allows a global change of the interconnection pattern in ~50 ms.

© 1987 Optical Society of America