Optical neural networks: an introduction to a special issue by the feature editors

This feature of Applied Optics is devoted to papers on the optical implementation of neural-network models of computation. Papers are included on optoelectronic neuron array devices, optical interconnection techniques using holograms and spatial light modulators, optical associative memories, demonstrations of optoelectronic systems for learning, classification, and target recognition, and on the demonstration, analysis, and simulation of adaptive interconnections for optical neural networks using photorefractive volume holograms

Holographic optical trapping

Holographic optical tweezers use computer-generated holograms to create arbitrary three-dimensional configurations of single-beam optical traps useful for capturing, moving and transforming mesoscopic objects. Through a combination of beam-splitting, mode forming, and adaptive wavefront correction, holographic traps can exert precisely specified and characterized forces and torques on objects ranging in size from a few nanometers to hundreds of micrometers. With nanometer-scale spatial resolution and real-time reconfigurability, holographic optical traps offer extraordinary access to the microscopic world and already have found applications in fundamental research and industrial applications.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, invited contribution to Applied Optics focus issue on Digital Holograph

High-Speed Indoor Optical Wireless Links Employing Fast Angle and Power Adaptive Computer-Generated Holograms With Imaging Receivers

In this paper, we introduce an adaptive optical wireless system that employs a finite vocabulary of stored holograms. We propose a fast adaptation approach based on a divide and conquer methodology resulting in a number of adaptation algorithms: fast angle adaptive holograms (FAA-Holograms), fast power adaptive holograms (FPA-Holograms), and fast angle and power adaptive holograms (FAPA-Holograms) and evaluate these in mobile optical wireless (OW) systems in conjugation with imaging reception. The ultimate goal is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), to reduce the effect of intersymbol-interference (ISI), to speed up the adaptation process, and to eliminate the need to calculate the hologram in real-time at each transmitter and receiver location. The system operates at high data rates under the impact of multipath dispersion, background noise and mobility. At a data rate of 2.5 Gb/s and under eye safety regulations, the proposed FAPA-Holograms offers around 20 dB SNR in the presence of background shot noise, receiver noise, multipath dispersion, and mobility. Simulation results show that the proposed system, FAPA-Holograms, can reduce the time required to identify the optimum hologram position from 80 ms in the original beam angle and power adaptive line strip multibeam system (APA-LSMS) to about 13 ms

Photonic entanglement as a resource in quantum computation and quantum communication

Entanglement is an essential resource in current experimental implementations for quantum information processing. We review a class of experiments exploiting photonic entanglement, ranging from one-way quantum computing over quantum communication complexity to long-distance quantum communication. We then propose a set of feasible experiments that will underline the advantages of photonic entanglement for quantum information processing.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figures, OSA styl

Uplink Design in VLC Systems with IR Sources and Beam Steering

The need for high-speed local area networks to meet the recent developments in multimedia and video transmission applications has recently focused interest on visible light communication (VLC) systems. Although VLC systems provide lighting and communications simultaneously from light emitting diodes, LEDs, the uplink channel design in such a system is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a solution in which the uplink challenge in indoor VLC is resolved by the use of an Infrared (IR) link. We introduce a novel fast adaptive beam steering IR system (FABS-IR) to improve the uplink performance at high data rates while providing security for applications. The goal of our proposed system is to enhance the received optical power signal, speed up the adaptation process and mitigate the channel delay spread when the system operates at a high transmission rate. The channel delay spread is minimised from 0.22 ns given by hybrid diffuse IR link to almost 0.07 ns. At 2.5 Gb/s, our results show that the imaging FABS-IR system accomplished about 11.7 dB signal to noise ratio (SNR) in the presence of multipath dispersion, receiver noise and transmitter mobility

Adaptive optical networks using photorefractive crystals

The capabilities of photorefractive crystals as media for holographic interconnections in neural networks are examined. Limitations on the density of interconnections and the number of holographic associations which can be stored in photorefractive crystals are derived. Optical architectures for implementing various neural schemes are described. Experimental results are presented for one of these architectures

25 Gbps Mobile Visible light Communication System Employing Fast Adaptation Techniques

Visible light communication (VLC) systems have typically operated at data rates below 20 Gbps and operation at this data rate was shown to be feasible by using laser diodes (LDs), beam steering, imaging receivers and delay adaptation techniques. However, an increase in the computational cost is incurred. In this paper, we introduce fast computer generated holograms (FCGHs) to speed up the adaptation process. The new, fast and efficient fully adaptive VLC system can improve the receiver signal to noise ratio (SNR) and reduce the required time to estimate the position of the VLC receiver. In addition, an imaging receiver and a delay adaptation technique are used to reduce the effect of inter symbol interference (ISI) and multipath dispersion. Significant enhancements in the SNR, with VLC channel bandwidths of more than 36 GHz are obtained resulting in a compact impulse response and a VLC system that is able to achieve higher data rates (25 Gbps) with full mobility in the considered indoor environment