Digital holographic logic

Abstract Theoretically optical computers should be capable of performing 10 14 multiplications per sec. Some, in fact, have attained actual operating speeds of 10 11 multiplications per sec in applications involving data analysis in military radar systems. These computers suffer from the disadvantage of being fixed-program systems, and practical limitations in optical design and optical physics limit precision and accuracy. To take advantage of the high computing rates available in the optical computer and provide accuracy and flexibility optical computers are needed which are (1) digital in nature and (2) functionally programmable. This paper proposes a digital optical computer technology using holographic programming. A simple laboratory demonstration is given where the Identity Function and the Exclusive-OR are generated using this technology. An extension into the practical realm of pattern recognition using acoustically programmed holograms is also mentioned.