Optical shuffle computation network

Abstract

Optical communication system communicates between an array of originating tiles and an array of terminating tiles. Each array is associated with a lenslet array, such as a two-layer array which has two layers of lenslets. Each originating tile has an array of transmitters and each terminating tile has an array of receivers. Each tile is associated with a common lenslet or lenslet pair. A beamlet from a representative transmitter passes through the lenslet pair adjacent to its tile to become a collimated beam whose angle is related to the location of the transmitter. The collimated beam passes through the receiver lenslet pair adjacent to the tile containing the receiver associated with the representative transmitter, and is focused onto that receiver by that lenslet pair. The system may operate in the reverse direction, wherein the transmitters are transmitter-receivers, the receivers are receiver-transmitters, and a beam from a receiver-transmitter is directed to its corresponding transmitter-receiver.