Optical computing element and multi-neural network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11934936-B2
Application number	US-201916982009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 13, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

An optical operational element which enables a multilayered optical neural network to be constructed without using an optical amplifier is provided. The optical operational element includes: a photothermal conversion unit 30 which converts light energy of input light A into thermal energy; a light intensity variation unit 20 which is in contact with the photothermal conversion unit 30 and which varies, in accordance with a temperature variation accompanying heat generation or heat absorption by the photothermal conversion unit 30 , intensity of external light B that is introduced from the outside; and a housing unit 10 which houses the light intensity variation unit 20 and which introduces the external light B from one side and outputs output light C obtained by attenuating intensity of the external light B to the outside on an opposite side to the one side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical operational element, comprising:
a photothermal conversion unit which converts light energy of input light into thermal energy; a light intensity variation unit which is in contact with the photothermal conversion unit and which varies, in accordance with a temperature variation accompanying heat generation or heat absorption by the photothermal conversion unit, intensity of external light that is introduced from the outside; and
a housing unit which houses the light intensity variation unit and which introduces the external light from one side and outputs output light obtained by attenuating intensity of the external light to the outside on an opposite side to the one side.

2. The optical operational element according to claim 1 , wherein the photothermal conversion unit includes a protruding portion in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the external light, the protruding portion is provided with an opening which is long in a transmission direction of temperature of the protruding portion, and a beam of the external light is irradiated into the opening.

3. The optical operational element according to claim 1 , wherein the photothermal conversion unit includes a protruding portion in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the external light, the protruding portion is provided with an opening which is short in a transmission direction of temperature of the protruding portion, and a beam of the external light is irradiated into the opening.

4. A multilayer neural network in which N (N≥2)-number of the optical operational element according to claim 1 are cascade-connected, wherein the input light of an optical operational element of an n (n=2, 3, . . . , N)-th layer includes output light of an optical operational element of an n−1-th layer.

5. A multilayer neural network in which N (N≥2)-number of the optical operational element according to claim 2 are cascade-connected, wherein the input light of an optical operational element of an n (n=2, 3, . . . , N)-th layer includes output light of an optical operational element of an n−1-th layer.

6. A multilayer neural network in which N (N≥2)-number of the optical operational element according to claim 3 are cascade-connected, wherein the input light of an optical operational element of an n (n=2, 3, . . . , N)-th layer includes output light of an optical operational element of an n−1-th layer.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Konisho Shiori
• Otsuka Takuya
• Oka Soichi

Classifications

• G06N3/067 Primary

  using optical means · CPC title

• G06N3/0499

  Feedforward networks · CPC title

• G06N3/04 Primary

  Architecture, e.g. interconnection topology · CPC title

• G02F1/0147 Primary

  based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F3/00

  Optical logic elements; Optical bistable devices · CPC title