Optical Processing and Computing

Optical Processing and Computing is a collection of research from the USA, Canada, Russia, and Poland on the developments in the fields of digital optical computing and analog optical processing. This book is organized into 15 chapters and begins with an overview of the hierarchy of interconnect problems. Some chapters deal with the fundamental limitations and capabilities of optics in relation to interconnections, switching, computing, materials, and devices. Other chapters explore the architectures, technology, and applications of the field. The topics range from promising areas in the early stages of development, such as nonlinear effects in fibers that could bring about the optical transistor, to developments in areas ready for technology, such as the production of optical kinoforms, an important type of computer-generated optical component. With a strong focus on the fundamental aspects of the field, this book is of interest to specialists, researchers, and students who need a broad coverage of the principles of optical computing and of the underlying physics.