Abstract

An optical system called the optical expander is described and investigated. The optical expander electro-optically expands an optical Boolean pattern encoded in d bits into an optical pattern of size N bits. It is assumed that d is equal to c log₂ N for some constant c, and each expanded pattern is orthogonal to the others. Two different architectures to implement the optical expander are described: one uses an optical matrix–vector multiplier and an array of N threshold devices; the other uses log₂ N novel reflection–transmission switching cells. These architectures are analyzed in terms of size, energy requirement, and speed. The optical expander described utilizes high-speed and high-space–bandwidth-product connections that are provided by optical beams in three dimensions. Potential applications, holographic memory, and message routing systems are also discussed.

© 1993 Optical Society of America

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