Abstract

Optics offers the promise of large number of weighted parallel interconnects for use in optical neural networks. However, to date the maximum number of holographic interconnects stored in any photorefractive crystal was 500 in Fe:LiNbO₃. It has not yet been established what are the fundamental limits to the maximum number of angularly multiplexed gratings. One relevant parameter is the angular selectivity of a holographic grating. In this paper we compare the theoretical angular selectivity calculated by coupled wave theory with our experimental measurement of the same quantity for a crystal of BSO. BSO has the advantage for optical interconnects that it has a higher sensitivity than Fe:LiNbO₃, so lower power laser can be used for recording.

© 1991 Optical Society of America