Integrated optical matrix multiplier

Abstract

An optical waveguide of photoconductive material is positioned parallel to t least one other optical waveguide of electrooptical material. A first electrode is positioned between the two optical waveguides and second and third electrodes are positioned contiguous to the optical waveguides and opposite the first electrode. A constant amplitude electrical source is connected to the second and third electrodes and when light energy signals representative of a column vector function are propagated along the photoconductive optical waveguide, a commensurate change of conductivity between the first and second electrodes is caused to occur with a consequent change in electrical potential across the second and third electrodes embracing the optical waveguide of electrooptic material. When light energy signals representative of a row vector function are propagated along the second optical waveguide, a polarizatin modulated output signal is developed by the second optical waveguide. A polarization analyzer of the filter or polarization discriminator type intercepts the polarization modulated output light signals of the second optical waveguide and an integrating storage detector responds to the output light signals for generating commensurate electrical signals which are representative of the multiplication of the column vector function and the row vector function as represented by the light energy signals propagating along the photoconductive optical waveguide and the electrooptical waveguide, respectively. By adding several electrooptical waveguide, analyzer, and detector sections in electrical parallel to the first electrooptical subsystem, the row-column vector multiplier is made to function as a matrix vector multiplier.