Optical device for generating plurality of conditioned signals

Abstract

An optical arrangement for generating a plurality of conditioned optical signals is presented. The optical device (305) includes at least one temporally incoherent light source (310) coupled to a plurality of amplitude modulators (341, 342). Each amplitude regulator is configured to attenuate or amplify an optical signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source (310) to provide a corresponding regulated optical signal. An optical computing system is also presented that includes an optical arrangement coupled to a processing device having a plurality of inputs for receiving conditioned optical signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an optical device for generating a plurality of modulated signals and a corresponding method. In particular, the present disclosure relates to generating amplitude-modulated signals based on a temporally incoherent light source. The present disclosure also relates to an optical computing system including such an optical device. background

[0002] Optical processors rely on the efficient amplitude modulation (modulation or amplification) of optical signals. Modulation of the optical signal can be used to perform multiplication operations on the optical signal by a predetermined coefficient. Conversely, accumulation of the modulated signal can be used to perform a multiply-accumulate (MAC) operation.

[0003] Accumulation is performed by superimposing the signals over time. During the temporal overlap, interference effects may occur that affect the results of the computational operations and limit the ability to parallelize via wavelength multiplexing. The present disclosure aims to address one or more of the above limitations. Overview

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an optical device for generating a plurality of conditioned optical signals is provided, the optical device comprising at least one temporally incoherent light source coupled to a plurality of amplitude modulators, each amplitude modulator being configured to attenuate or amplify an optical signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source to provide a corresponding conditioned optical signal.

[0005] Optionally, the at least one temporally incoherent light source is adapted to provide a primary signal of temporally incoherent radiation, the optical arrangement further comprising a splitting device adapted to split the primary signal into a plurality of secondary signals.

[0006] For example, the temporally incoherent light source may be a single source.

[0007] Optionally, the splitting device is coupled to the plurality of amplitude regulators via a plurality of channels for transmitting the secondary signal.

[0008] For example, the channel may be a waveguide such as an integrated waveguide or an optical fiber.

[0009] Optionally, each channel has a different length for introducing delays between different secondary signals.

[0010] Optionally, wherein the temporally incoherently radiated primary signal has a coherence length, and wherein the path length travelled by the secondary signal in each channel differs by at least the coherence length.

[0011] Optionally, each channel is coupled to a demultiplexer and a complementary multiplexer, wherein the demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex the spectrum of the secondary signal into a plurality of individual wavelength channels.

[0012] Optionally, each individual wavelength channel comprises a corresponding amplitude adjuster, and wherein the multiplexer is configured to receive the adjusted signal from each amplitude adjuster.

[0013] Optionally, each amplitude adjuster is coupled to a corresponding temporally incoherent light source, or wherein a plurality of amplitude adjusters form an amplitude adjuster group, and wherein each group is coupled to a corresponding temporally incoherent light source.

[0014] Optionally, the at least one temporally incoherent light source has a coherence time of less than about 10 nanoseconds, or less than about 1 nanosecond, or less than about 100 picoseconds.

[0015] Optionally, the at least one temporally incoherent light source comprises one or more of an amplified spontaneous emission source, a thermal light source, a solid state light source, and a white light source.

[0016] For example, the solid state light source may be a light emitting diode (LED).

[0017] Optionally, the plurality of amplitude regulators include optical modulators and / or optical amplifiers.

[0018] For example, the optical modulator may be an electro-optic modulator (EOM), a phase change modulator (PCM), an acousto-optic modulator, a polymer-based modulator, a thermal modulator, or a mechanical modulator.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an optical computing system comprising the optical apparatus according to the first aspect, coupled to a processing device having a plurality of inputs for receiving conditioned optical signals.

[0020] Optionally, the processing device comprises a combiner adapted to combine the conditioned optical signals.

[0021] Optionally, the combiner is coupled to the plurality of amplitude adjusters via a set of optical channels, wherein each optical channel in the set has the same length.

[0022] Optionally, the processing device comprises an optical multiplication matrix.

[0023] Optionally, the processing device is configured to perform the addition of conditioned optical signals of the same wavelength while preventing interference between the conditioned optical signals.

[0024] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an integrated optical chip is provided. The integrated optical chip includes the optical device according to the first aspect or the optical computing system according to the second aspect.

[0025] The options described in relation to the first aspect of the disclosure are also common to the second and third aspects of the disclosure.

[0026] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for generating a plurality of conditioned signals, the method comprising: providing at least one temporally incoherent light source coupled to a plurality of amplitude modifiers, and An amplitude of a signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source is adjusted to provide a corresponding conditioned signal.

[0027] Optionally, the method further comprises adding the conditioned optical signals of the same wavelength while preventing interference between the conditioned optical signals.

[0028] The fourth aspect may share features of the first and second aspects as described above and herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present disclosure is described in more detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of an optical system provided with a matrix multiplication unit; Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for generating a plurality of conditioned signals according to the present disclosure; Figure 3 is a diagram of a system comprising a Figure 2 An optical device for generating a plurality of modulated signals by a method; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Figures of alternative embodiments of the system; Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Graph of an expanded version of the system; Figure 6 is a diagram of another system comprising a Figure 2 An optical device for generating a plurality of modulated signals by a method; Figure 7 is a diagram of a multiplication matrix. describe

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram of an optical system equipped with a matrix multiplication unit. Optical system 100 includes a matrix multiplication unit 110 coupled to a light source unit 120 and a sensor unit 130. Matrix multiplication unit 110 has N input waveguides 112 (rows) coupled to light source unit 120 and M output waveguides 113 (columns) coupled to sensor unit 130. It should be understood that the numbers N and M can vary. System 100 uses L channels, so L vectors are sent to matrix multiplication unit 110 in parallel.

[0031] The input waveguides 112 and the output waveguides 113 are arranged to form a grid of multiplication unit cells 111. For each unit cell, the input waveguide 112 and the output waveguide 113 cross each other at a crossover point C. A coupler 114 is inserted between the input waveguide 112 and the associated output waveguide 113. The coupler 114 is provided with an optical modulator 115. The optical modulator 115 can be an electro-optical modulator (EOM) or a phase change modulator (PCM).

[0032] Input waveguide 112 and coupler 114 act as two directional couplers with fixed transmission within a cell. Input waveguide 112 splits the light from the input row, allowing part of the light to propagate along 112 to the next cell, and part of the light to be sent to modulator 115 for modulation / attenuation. Coupler 114 then adds the modulated light to output waveguide 113.

[0033] Light source unit 120 has N subunits 121 adapted to generate input beams for corresponding input waveguides 112. Similarly, detector unit 130 has M subunits 131, each with L detectors for receiving outputs of L wavelength channels from corresponding output waveguides 113. Each subunit 121 includes L lasers coupled to a multiplexer MUX. The output of the multiplexer is coupled to the corresponding input waveguide 112. Each laser provides an output beam having a unique wavelength. A modulator 125 is provided at the output of each laser to modulate the output beam.

[0034] Therefore, each subunit 121 is designed to generate an input beam with its own unique set of wavelengths, so that each input waveguide in the matrix has its own unique set of wavelengths. This approach allows optical interference to be avoided when combining multiple beams at a single waveguide. However, such a system has limited scalability. For example, to feed L vectors into a 64 × 64 matrix unit, L*64 different light sources (or laser lines) are required. To avoid oscillation and interference, each line must be spectrally separated, requiring a large optical bandwidth. For example, the first MUX generates the range [λ1 to λL], and the second MUX generates [λ1 + Δλ to λL + Δλ], where Δλ is less than the difference between two adjacent wavelengths (e.g., Δλ < (λ2 - λ1)). Assuming a 200 pm spacing between wavelengths, this would require an optical bandwidth of 100 nm.

[0035] Figure 2The present invention is a flow chart of a method for generating multiple conditioned optical signals according to the present disclosure. At step 210, at least one temporally incoherent light source is coupled to a plurality of amplitude modulators. The amplitude modulators can be optical modulators for attenuating the amplitude of the optical signal, optical amplifiers for amplifying the amplitude of the optical signal, or a combination of both. For example, combining optical modulators and optical amplifiers can be used to increase the dynamic range of a system.

[0036] The temporally incoherent light source is adapted to generate an electromagnetic radiation beam. The electromagnetic radiation beam may have a spectrum in a specific spectral region, which may be an infrared region such as near infrared NIR. The spectrum may also include a visible region or a near visible region.

[0037] At step 220, the amplitude of a signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source is adjusted to provide a corresponding adjusted signal.

[0038] Lasers are coherent light sources in which there is a fixed phase relationship between the electric field values ​​at different locations (spatial coherence) and / or a fixed phase relationship between the electric field values ​​at different times (temporal coherence). Spatial coherence arises from the presence of resonator modes, which define spatially correlated field patterns, providing a beam with high spatial coherence. Lasers that emit multiple modes with different optical frequencies have relatively low temporal coherence. When a laser is operated at a single frequency and some stability characteristics are present, it can have high temporal coherence. Temporal coherence can be characterized by the coherence time, which defines the time over which the field correlation decays, and the coherence length, which defines the propagation distance over which the coherence decays significantly.

[0039] Temporally incoherent light sources can be implemented in various ways. A light source has low temporal coherence and can be considered temporally incoherent when its coherence time is relatively short. For example, a temporally incoherent light source can have a coherence time in the picosecond range and / or a coherence length in the millimeter range. For example, the coherence time can be less than 100 ps, ​​such as between about 1 ps and 30 ps, ​​depending on the width of the wavelength channel.

[0040] The choice of a temporally incoherent light source and its coherence time can be determined based on the speed of the system. For example, one could imagine running processing elements (e.g., multiplication matrices) at relatively low speeds (kHz or MHz instead of 10 GHz) to build a low-power, lower-throughput device. In this case, a temporally incoherent light source with a relatively long coherence time, e.g., less than approximately 10 ns or in the 1 ns range, could be used.

[0041] Various types of sources can be used to generate radiation with low temporal coherence, including amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) sources, thermal light sources, solid-state light sources such as LEDs, or white light sources. Other sources that do not include resonators and emit light randomly are also contemplated.

[0042] In a laser gain medium, luminescence or fluorescence generated by spontaneous emission can be amplified to produce amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The ASE-emitted beam can cover a relatively wide wavelength range; for example, in the infrared region, ASE can have a spectral width ranging from approximately 30 nm to approximately 100 nm or more. This amplified radiation has low temporal coherence but relatively good spatial coherence. This good spatial coherence allows, for example, efficient optical coupling of light from an ASE source into a waveguide.

[0043] The temporally incoherent light source can also be a white light source designed to generate a white light spectrum. The white light spectrum can have a width of several hundred nanometers. Depending on the application, this approach could allow a single light source to provide all the wavelengths required for a given computing task.

[0044] Figure 3 is a diagram of a system comprising a Figure 2 System 300 includes an optical device 305 for generating multiple conditioned signals, which are coupled to a detector 360 via a combiner 350. Optical device 305 comprises a single source 310 of temporally incoherent light (an ASE source in this example) and a splitting device or splitter 320 coupled to a set of amplitude modulators 341 and 342 via two optical channels (also referred to as waveguides 331 and 332). Waveguides 331 and 332 have different lengths to introduce a delay between the signal transmitted through waveguide 331 and the signal transmitted through waveguide 332. Combiner 350 is coupled to amplitude modulators 341 and 342 via a pair of waveguides 371 and 372, each having the same length. Splitter 320 and combiner 350 can be implemented in various ways. For example, directional couplers, such as directional fiber couplers or integrated photonic directional couplers, can be used. A first directional coupler can be used for the splitter in one direction, while another directional coupler can be used for the combiner in the opposite direction. In this example, the amplitude adjusters 341 and 342 are provided by optical modulators. In another embodiment, the amplitude adjusters may be optical amplifiers.

[0045] In operation, the temporally incoherent light source 310 generates a primary signal with an intensity I0. The splitter 320 divides the primary signal into two secondary signals. The splitter 320 can be designed to achieve different split ratios according to the application. In this example, the splitter 320 provides a 50:50 split ratio so that each secondary signal has an intensity of I0 / 2. The two secondary signals are transmitted to modulators 341 and 342 via waveguides 331 and 332, respectively. Waveguide 332 is longer than waveguide 331. The length difference is designed so that the path length traveled by the secondary signal differs by at least the coherence length of the temporally incoherent light source 310. Therefore, the delay distance is selected to be longer than the coherence time of the light source.

[0046] Modulators 341 and 342 are configured to modulate the signal intensity of the secondary signal by a predetermined factor. For example, modulation can attenuate the signal by an attenuation factor (scalar factor "a" for 341 and scalar factor "b" for 342). Each modulator can be controlled to adjust the attenuation factor, which can range between 0 and 1. This results in a multiplication of the optical intensity of the secondary signal. In this example, modulator 341 provides a modulated signal with an intensity of I0 / 2*a, while modulator 342 provides a modulated signal with an intensity of I0 / 2*b. When an optical amplifier is used instead of an optical modulator, the attenuation factor is replaced by an amplification factor.

[0047] After multiplication in the modulator, the modulated signals are sent to combiner 350, which combines or superimposes the modulated signals. Combiner 350 provides an output signal having an intensity equal to the sum of the intensities of the modulated signals. In this example, the intensity of the output signal is equal to I0 / 2*a + I0 / 2*b. By using a temporally incoherent light source, multiple modulated signals with the same wavelength can be combined or superimposed without interference. The presence of interference between signals with the same wavelength would disrupt the MAC operation because the signal intensities cannot be assumed to simply add.

[0048] To ensure that the modulated signal does not experience time shift, the path lengths of waveguides 371 and 372 between the modulator and combiner are designed to be the same length, i.e., the same optical path. Because the two signals are temporally superimposed, detector 360 can detect the cumulative intensity of the signals, thus measuring the signal as the result of a multiply-accumulate (MAC) operation.

[0049] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of a system. System 400 is similar to Figure 3The system 300 is the same as that of FIG. 1 , and like components are denoted by like reference numerals. In this case, the splitter 320 has been removed and two time-incoherent sources 310 and 310' are used. The waveguides 431, 432 do not need to introduce a delay and can therefore have the same length.

[0050] For some applications, the delay line can become relatively long (depending on the coherence length and how many inputs are used), which increases chip area and production cost. Such delay lines may also introduce optical losses that need to be considered. Figure 4 The system eliminates the need for delay lines. In addition, using separate sources allows for the use of more optical power, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0051] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Figure 1 shows an expanded version of the system. Figure 3 The system can be expanded to perform summation of any number of multiplication operations. To do this, a splitter 520 that splits the optical signal (primary signal) from the temporally incoherent light source 510 into sub-signals (secondary signals) must be selected or designed so that it emits the desired number N of secondary signals. These secondary signals are then forwarded via N channels or waveguides 531-53N to a corresponding number N of modulators, labeled 541-54N.

[0052] Waveguides 531-53N have varying lengths, such that waveguide 532 is longer than waveguide 531, waveguide 533 is longer than waveguide 532, and so on. The path difference between each of these waveguides is designed to be at least equal to the coherence length of the temporally incoherent source 510. Combiner 550 is coupled to modulators 541-54N via N waveguides 571-57N, each having the same length (same transmission distance). The output of combiner 550 is coupled to detector 560. Optionally, additional processing elements (not shown) may be used after combiner 550 and before detector 560.

[0053] The operation of system 500 is similar to that of system 300. Combiner 550 adds the modulated signals received from modulators 541-54N and provides an output signal having an intensity equal to the sum of the intensities of the modulated signals. The output of combiner 550 is then detected by detector 560. It should be understood that Figure 5 The system can also be Figure 4 The example is implemented using multiple sources.

[0054] Figure 6 is a diagram of another system comprising a Figure 2System 600 includes an optical device 605 for generating multiple modulated signals that is coupled to a processing device 650. Optical device 605 includes a single temporally incoherent light source 610 (an ASE source in this example) and a splitter 620 for splitting the primary signal from 610 into N secondary signals via N outputs. N pairs of complementary wavelength demultiplexers / wavelength multiplexers (681 / 681'-68N / 68N') are provided to perform wavelength division multiplexing.

[0055] N pairs of demultiplexers / multiplexers are used to separate L individual wavelength channels and enable vectors to be modulated onto these channels. Each wavelength channel carries one vector, out of a total of L channels. The vectors are provided as input to the processing device 650. Each vector has N entries and is encoded via N modulators (each vector has one wavelength). For L channels, the system carries L vectors. Each vector consists of its N entries (different input rows of the matrix). The N input rows have their own modulators, so that a single vector has N modulators corresponding to its value. See Figure 6 : Modulators 64L and 64N obtain signals of the same wavelength, but modulate the first and last entries of the vector.

[0056] Each output of splitter 620 is coupled to a corresponding demultiplexer (681-68N) via an optical waveguide or channel (631-63N). As in the previous embodiment, the N waveguides 631-63N have different lengths to introduce delays between signals transmitted through different waveguides.

[0057] Temporally incoherent light source 610 provides a primary optical signal having a source spectrum. This source spectrum can be relatively broad. Each demultiplexer 681-68N is configured to receive a secondary signal having the source spectrum and split the source spectrum into sub-wavelength ranges to generate a plurality of L tertiary signals, each having a specific wavelength range. This is achieved in parallel.

[0058] A plurality of L modulators (641-64L) are provided between each pair of demultiplexers / multiplexers (681-681') for modulating L three-level signals. Multiplexer 681' is then used to combine the L modulated signals and send them in parallel to the input of processing device 650. Since the L modulated signals originate from the same waveguide 631, they have the same delay.

[0059] Wavelength division multiplexing allows different signals encoded at different wavelengths to be routed through the same channel simultaneously without interacting with each other.

[0060] The output of the optical device 605 provides L*N signals in N channels.

[0061] These signals can now be used as input signals for the processing device 650. The processing device 650 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the processing device 650 can be an optical multiplication NxM matrix processor, such as Figure 1 The matrix multiplication unit described in .

[0062] Processing device 650 has multiple inputs and multiple outputs. Each input of processing device 650 can receive the output of a corresponding multiplexer (681'-68N'). Each output of processing device 650 is coupled to an output demultiplexer 691, which is coupled to multiple detectors 661-66M. Each output signal of processing device 650 contains multiple wavelengths. Each output demultiplexer 691-69M is used to separate the wavelengths of the corresponding output signal of processing device 650. Detectors 661-66M are used to detect the accumulated intensity at each individual wavelength. Detectors 661-66M may include L individual sub-photodetectors.

[0063] Thus, system 600 is suitable for performing wavelength division multiplexing, which enables further increasing the number of MAC (multiply accumulate) operations that can be performed simultaneously.Using a temporally incoherent light source with a broadband spectrum increases parallelization and allows performing matrix multiplications while avoiding optical interference.

[0064] exist Figure 6 In a system with a wavelength of 100 nm, multiple beams or signals can be added together at the same wavelength without signal degradation due to interference. This reduces the number of required wavelengths to one per vector. Considering a light source with a spectrum of 100 nm and a channel width of 200 pm, 500 vectors can be sent in parallel.

[0065] like Figure 4 As shown, multiple temporally incoherent light sources can be used instead of a single light source. In this case, one source can be used for each matrix input. For example, each DEMUX 681-68N can be provided with its own light source. This avoids difficult routing and waveguide crossings on the photonic chip and reduces the chip footprint by eliminating the need for optical delay lines. The coherence lengths of the multiple light sources can be selected based on the operating speed and path length on the chip.

[0066] Figure 7 Yes, you can Figure 6Schematic diagram of a multiplication matrix unit used in a system. Multiplication matrix unit 700 has four input waveguides 701-704. Each input waveguide is coupled to four different outputs (out1, out2, out3, and out4) via four coupling waveguides. For example, input waveguide 701 is coupled to outputs 1 through 4 via coupling waveguides 711, 712, 713, and 714, respectively. Similarly, input waveguide 702 is coupled to outputs 1 through 4 via coupling waveguides 721-724, respectively, and so on. Each coupling waveguide is provided with a modulator, labeled M1-M4, for modulating the optical signal transmitted through the waveguide.

[0067] The coupling between the input waveguide and the coupled waveguide is provided by an input coupler. For example, the input waveguide 701 has four input couplers C1a, C1b, C1c and C1d for coupling to waveguides 711, 712, 713 and 714 respectively.

[0068] Each coupled waveguide is coupled to a dedicated output waveguide via an output coupler Cout. For example, coupled waveguide 711 is coupled to output waveguide 791 of output 1 (out1) via output coupler Cout1.

[0069] The input coupler is used to split the input optical signal received at the input waveguide so that a portion of the signal is transmitted through the input waveguide and the other remaining portion is passed to the coupling waveguide.

[0070] The split ratio can be adjusted so that each column waveguide receives the same amount of optical signal. Assuming no loss, this would mean that the first coupler C1a couples 1 / 4 of the input optical signal to waveguide 711, the second coupler C1b couples 1 / 3 of the remaining optical signal to 712, the third coupler C1c couples 1 / 2 of the remaining optical signal to 713, and the fourth coupler C1d couples all (1 / 1) of the remaining optical signal to waveguide 714.

[0071] The split ratios of the output couplers can be selected to obtain equal contributions from the input channels to the output signals provided at the outputs. For example, the split ratios of the output couplers Cout1, Cout2, Cout3, and Cout4 coupled to the first output channel 791 can be 1 / 4, 1 / 3, 1 / 2, and 1 / 1, respectively.

[0072] Depending on the device implementation, further adjustments may be needed to account for optical losses at the crossover point between the input channel and the coupled channel, as well as optical losses associated with the coupler.The overall ratio is adjusted so that each input contributes the same amount of light to each output.

[0073] The output coupler is used to combine the modulated signal transmitted through the coupled waveguide with other modulated signals transmitted through other coupled waveguides. The input waveguide can be made of silicon nitride, while the coupled waveguide can be made of silicon or both can be made of the same material. It should be understood that the design of multiplication matrix 700 can be extended to any number of inputs and outputs.

[0074] and Figure 1 Compared to conventional multiplication matrices, the Matrix 700 increases flexibility and reduces footprint. Its design allows for the use of longer modulators, which results in a better signal-to-noise ratio, as well as different modulator types. For example, a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) can be used instead of an electro-absorption modulator (EAM). Larger matrix sizes are also possible because the cells are smaller than in a crossbar array, and modulators can be packed more densely.

[0075] refer to Figures 3 to 7 The proposed optical system described allows the accumulation of several optical signals and increases parallelization. This is achieved through a compact design. Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 The system can be implemented using a single temporally incoherent light source or multiple temporally incoherent light sources.

[0076] It should be understood that Figures 3 to 7 The described system can be implemented in different ways. Figures 3 to 7 The system can be implemented using integrated optical circuits, such as photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The short coherence length of the light source (e.g., in the mm range) allows the system to be implemented as an integrated optical circuit. In the case of an integrated chip implementation, the modulator can be an electro-optical modulator, such as an EOM based on indium phosphide (InP), silicon germanium, or lithium niobate. Other types of integrated modulators are also conceivable, such as optically controlled modulators, phase change modulators (PCMs), and polymer-based modulators, to name a few. One or more light sources can be fiber-coupled ASE sources. The ASE can also be designed as part of the chip; for example, it can be implemented in indium phosphide.

[0077] Alternatively, in Figures 3 to 7 The channels or waveguides used in various embodiments may be implemented as optical fibers, which may be optically coupled to various components, including light sources, splitters, modulators, multiplexers / demultiplexers, and the like.

[0078] Figures 3 to 7The system can also be implemented in a free-beam arrangement. The various components of the system can be selected depending on the type of implementation. For either a fiber-coupled or free-beam implementation, the modulator can be an electro-optic modulator (EOM), a phase-change modulator (PCM), an acousto-optic modulator, a spatial light modulator, or a mechanical modulator, depending on the clock rate that must be achieved. While the amplitude modulator has been described as an optical modulator in various embodiments, it should be understood that the optical modulator can be replaced by an optical amplifier.

[0079] Therefore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of the disclosed arrangements are possible without departing from the present disclosure. Therefore, the above description of specific embodiments is made by way of example only and not for purposes of limitation. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that minor modifications may be made without significantly changing the described operation.

Claims

1. An optical device for generating a plurality of conditioned optical signals, the optical device comprising at least one temporally incoherent light source coupled to a plurality of amplitude modulators, each amplitude modulator being configured to attenuate or amplify an optical signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source to provide a corresponding conditioned optical signal.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein The at least one temporally incoherent light source is adapted to provide a primary signal of temporally incoherent radiation, the optical arrangement further comprising a splitting device adapted to split the primary signal into a plurality of secondary signals.

3. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein The splitting device is coupled to the plurality of amplitude adjusters via a plurality of channels for transmitting the secondary signals.

4. The optical device according to claim 3, wherein Each channel has a different length to introduce delay between the different secondary signals.

5. The optical device according to claim 4, wherein The primary signal of temporally incoherent radiation has a coherence length, and wherein the path lengths travelled by the secondary signal in each channel differ by at least the coherence length.

6. The optical device according to claim 3, wherein Each channel is coupled to a demultiplexer and a complementary multiplexer, wherein the demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex the spectrum of the secondary signal into a plurality of individual wavelength channels.

7. The optical device according to claim 6, wherein Each individual wavelength channel includes a corresponding amplitude adjuster, and wherein the multiplexer is configured to receive a adjusted signal from each amplitude adjuster.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein Each amplitude modifier is coupled to a corresponding temporally incoherent light source, or wherein the plurality of amplitude modifiers form a group of amplitude modifiers, and wherein each group is coupled to a corresponding temporally incoherent light source.

9. An optical device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The at least one temporally incoherent light source has a coherence time of less than about 10 nanoseconds, or less than about 1 nanosecond, or less than about 100 picoseconds.

10. An optical device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The at least one temporally incoherent light source includes one or more of an amplified spontaneous emission source, a thermal light source, a solid state light source, and a white light source.

11. An optical device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The plurality of amplitude adjusters include optical modulators and / or optical amplifiers.

12. An optical computing system comprising an optical device according to any preceding claim, the optical device being coupled to a processing device having a plurality of inputs for receiving the conditioned optical signal.

13. The optical computing system according to claim 12, wherein: The processing device comprises a combiner adapted to combine the conditioned optical signals.

14. The optical computing system of claim 13, wherein: The combiner is coupled to the plurality of amplitude adjusters via a set of optical channels, wherein each optical channel in the set has the same length.

15. The optical computing system of claim 12, wherein: The processing device includes an optical multiplication matrix.

16. The optical computing system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: The processing device is configured to perform addition of conditioned optical signals of the same wavelength while preventing interference between the conditioned optical signals.

17. An integrated optical chip comprising the optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the optical computing system according to any one of claims 12 to 16.

18. A method of generating a plurality of conditioned signals, the method comprising: providing at least one temporally incoherent light source coupled to a plurality of amplitude modifiers, and An amplitude of a signal derived from the at least one temporally incoherent light source is adjusted to provide a corresponding conditioned signal.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Modulated optical signals of the same wavelength are added while preventing interference between the modulated optical signals.

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