A single inverse-designed photonic structure that performs parallel computing.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33674576.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-21664-9 and PMC identifier 7935988.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
In the search for improved computational capabilities, conventional microelectronic computers are facing various problems arising from the miniaturization and concentration of active electronics. Therefore, researchers have explored wave systems, such as photonic or quantum devices, for solving mathematical problems at higher speeds and larger capacities. However, previous devices have not fully exploited the linearity of the wave equation, which as we show here, allows for the simultaneous parallel solution of several independent mathematical problems within the same device. Here we demonstrate that a transmissive cavity filled with a judiciously tailored dielectric distribution and embedded in a multi-frequency feedback loop can calculate the solutions of a number of mathematical problems simultaneously. We design, build, and test a computing structure at microwave frequencies that solves two independent integral equations with any two arbitrary inputs and also provide numerical results for the calculation of the inverse of four 5 x 5 matrices.