Computation using a network of optical parametric oscillators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830555-B2
Application number	US-201414904040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, a computational machine includes an optical device configured to receive energy from an optical energy source and generate a number N 1 of optical signals, and a number N 2 of coupling devices, each of which controllably couples a plurality of the number N 1 optical signals. The coupling devices are individually controlled to simulate a computational problem. In another aspect, a computational machine includes a number N 1 of parametric oscillators and a number N 2 of coupling devices, each of which controllably couples a plurality of the number N 1 of parametric oscillators together. The coupling devices are individually controlled to simulate a computational problem.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computational machine, comprising:
an optical device configured to receive energy from an optical energy source and generate a number N 1 of optical signals, N 1 is 2 or greater; and
a number N 2 of coupling devices, each of which controllably couples a plurality of the number N 1 of optical signals, N 2 is 1 or greater;
wherein the coupling devices are individually controlled to simulate a computational problem.

2. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the optical energy source is a laser.

3. The computational machine of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the optical energy source to produce energy in a predefined pattern.

4. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the number N 2 is equal to one half of the value N 1 squared minus N 1 (N 2 =(N 1 ^2−N 1 )/2.

5. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the number N 2 is equal to the value N 1 minus one (N 2 =N 1 −1).

6. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the number N 2 is equal to one (N 2 =1).

7. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the N 1 optical signals are generated from a plurality of optical parametric oscillators (OPOs).

8. The computational machine of claim 7 , wherein the OPOs are implemented using microresonators.

9. The computational machine of claim 1 , configured to produce and maintain the N 1 optical signals within one resonant cavity or one optical fiber.

10. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the coupling devices include electro-optic modulators (EOMs).

11. The computational machine of claim 1 , wherein the computational problem is one of a nondeterministic polynomial (NP) problem, an Ising problem, or an optimization problem.

12. The computational machine of claim 1 , configured to produce a set of numbers from a plurality of the N 1 signals, wherein the produced numbers contain information about a solution of the computational problem.

13. The computational machine of claim 12 , wherein the produced numbers determine a solution to the computational problem.

14. The computational machine of claim 12 , wherein the produced numbers are generated from the phases of a plurality of the N 1 signals.

15. The computational machine of claim 12 configured to provide a phase reference, wherein at least one of the N 1 optical signals is compared to the phase reference to produce the numbers.

16. The computational machine of claim 12 , wherein at least two of the N 1 signals are compared to each other to produce the numbers.

17. A computational machine, comprising:
a number N 1 of parametric oscillators, N 1 is 2 or greater; and
a number N 2 of coupling devices, each of which controllably couples a plurality of the number N 1 of parametric oscillators together, N 2 is 1 or greater;
wherein the coupling devices are individually controlled to simulate a computational problem.

18. The computational machine of claim 17 , wherein the parametric oscillators are optical parametric oscillators.

19. The computational machine of claim 18 , wherein the optical parametric oscillators are selected from continuous wave degenerate optical parametric oscillators and pulsed degenerate optical parametric oscillators.

20. The computational machine of claim 17 , wherein the parametric oscillators are time-multiplexed in one optical cavity or optical fiber.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior
• Inter-University Res Institute Corporation Res Organization Of Information And Systems

Inventors

• Marandi Alireza
• Yamamoto Yoshihisa
• Byer Robert
• Wang Zhe
• Utsunomiya Shoko

Classifications

• G06N3/044

  Recurrent networks, e.g. Hopfield networks · CPC title

• G06N3/047

  Probabilistic or stochastic networks · CPC title

• G06N3/0675

  using electro-optical, acousto-optical or opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G02F3/00

  Optical logic elements; Optical bistable devices · CPC title

• G02F1/39

  for parametric generation or amplification of light, infrared or ultraviolet waves · CPC title