IDEA #2A6U57 Universal Linear Optical Device. 22A0027

A universal integrated linear optical component that can perform an arbitrary linear operation on modulated light is an important component for classical and quantum optical information processing. A photonic matrix-vector multiplier is a key element for implementing analog neural networks with photonics circuits. In addition, such a component provides a platform for multistate systems of quantum particles for quantum computation and quantum information processing. On the other hand, an integrated matrix-vector multiplier is intrinsically a universal multiport feedforward optical device with a wide range of applications such as integrated switching, filtering, and mode division multiplexing/demultiplexing, to mention a few. This becomes particularly important when the device becomes reconfigurable to enable programmable photonic devices for a wide range of applications from classical and quantum information processing to sensing and metrology. This invention performs real-time matrix-vector multiplication that is essential for classical and quantum optical information processing applications. In classical computing, this device is core for developing photonic chips for unconventional computing with photonic spin simulators, neuromorphic computing, and machine learning with analog photonic neural networks. In quantum information processing and quantum machine learning, a similar functionality is required for performing linear operations in photonic integrated circuits that manipulate quantum states of light. In addition to applications in optical computing, the proposed component can serve as a universal multi-input multi-output device for ultra-high-speed manipulation of light in photonic integrated circuits for a broad spectrum of purposes ranging from analog optical signal processing to metrology and sensing and involve applications in telecommunication and LiDAR.