Abstract

It is now generally acknowledged that incorporating the advantages of optics into digital multiprocessor systems can benefit performance. Considerable interest exists in the implementation of massively parallel systems tailored to problems having high inherent parallelism, that use optics to implement some or all of the tasks of interconnection, logic, and clocking.^1,2,3 We are exploring the design of digital systems based on two-dimensional arrays of electronic processing elements (PE’s) produced at or near the wafer-scale level of integration, that are optically interconnected and synchronized by means of light modulators and detectors incorporated within the PE’s and an external optical routing network. Provided a fast, reliable light modulator technology is developed that is compatible with silicon or GaAs VLSI circuit technology and signal levels, such systems will compete with all-electronic and all-optical computing systems in the regime of highly parallel and structured computation.

© 1989 Optical Society of America