Parallel Optical Computing System

Abstract

A parallel optical computing system is described, comprising at least one first module (10) comprising at least one polarizing filter (12) and at least one liquid crystal cell (13), wherein the first module (10) receives light from a light source (70) and is configured as an optical modulator (100) for encoding the light output from the liquid crystal cell (13) into optical data to be processed; at least one second module (20) comprising at least one polarizing filter (22) and at least one liquid crystal cell (23), wherein the second module (20) may be configured as an optical processor (200) for receiving the optical data to be processed and outputting an optical result of the processing; and at least one optical detector (40) designed to receive the optical result of the processing and convert the optical result into a corresponding electrical result.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parallel optical computing system.The present invention also relates to a parallel optical computing method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that in the field of parallel optical computing, there are efforts to develop systems capable of processing light instead of electricity.

[0003] These systems have been developed in an attempt to speed up the transmission interfaces between telecommunication networks that already transmit by optical fibers, but also to increase the computation speed within said systems, thus making it possible to use the systems for very complex computer calculations, such as those applied in neuronal and artificial intelligence networks in general.

[0004] However, currently known systems have a number of drawbacks, mainly associated with the complexity of the interface between the parallel optical computing system and external digital (typically binary coding) systems and the complexity of implementing the calculations within the optical system itself, due to the fact that they need to be reprogrammable in order to be used industrially as well as for research purposes, and that their effectively widespread use can only be achieved with reasonably compact hardware. "Digital optical architectures for multiple matrix multiplication" by YU FT S ET AL (Optics communications, Elsevier, Amsterdam - XP024491185, ISSN: 0030-4018) is an example of an optical computing system.

[0005] The technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore to devise a parallel optical computing system with optimal performance characteristics with respect to input and output of data between external systems, including telecommunications networks, and with respect to information processing and related computational operations essentially carried out within the system, while utilizing highly general purpose software and hardware configurations to overcome essentially all of the limitations and drawbacks heretofore affecting known optical computing systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The idea underlying the present invention is to program liquid crystal cells to perform parallel optical computations, in particular to program the liquid crystal cells for modulating light representing the input of the computation to be performed, to perform the computation based on modulated light representing the input, and to output the result of the computation in the form of light that can be detected by an optical sensor (detector).

[0007] As an advantage, the liquid crystal cell is reprogrammable for both modulation and computation, based on the above ideas, so that it is possible to display multiple sets of input data and to perform multiple different operations on the data sets, each of said displays and operations corresponding to a predefined programming of the cell for modulation and computation, and is also shown below as forming part of the so-called first module of the parallel optical computing system, designed for modulation, and a second module of the computing system, designed for operation as a processor of the computing system.

[0008] Based on the above considerations, applicant has devised various embodiments of a parallel optical computing system, which ,strange The number of modules of the calculation system used for tuning and the expansion of the number of modules used for calculation, as well as the relative spatial configuration of the modules Adult While they differ from one another in some ways, they are all based on the principles of the ideas mentioned above.

[0009] According to the present invention Parallel optical computing systems include It has the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in claims 2-8. Parallel optical computing systems include at least one first module comprising at least one polarizing filter and at least one liquid crystal cell, the first module being configured as a light modulator for receiving light from a light source and encoding the light output from the liquid crystal cell into light data to be processed; at least one second module comprising at least one polarizing filter and at least one liquid crystal cell, the second module may be configured as an optical processor for receiving optical data to be processed and outputting an optical result of the processing; at least one optical detector configured to receive an optical result of the processing and convert the optical result into a corresponding electrical result; Equipped with.

[0010] The first module and / or the second module may comprise multiple liquid crystal cells, thereby improving the parallel computing capability of the computing system. The following description is based, at least initially, on a minimal configuration of the modules, only for the sake of easier description, but it is clear that the same modules are not limited in terms of the number of liquid crystal cells.

[0011] Small The prism has a type of configuration in which at least one prism is positioned to receive optical data from a first module and reflect the optical data to a second module, the first module and the second module being vertically aligned. Specific details of the configuration exemplified here are provided in the detailed description of the present disclosure and with reference to the drawings. Essentially, the prism comprises a base parallel to the cells of the first module and the second module and positioned opposite the first module and the second module, and an inclined wall connected to the base for reflecting the optical data from the first module to the second module.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the second module is configured as an optical processor and the optical detector is configured to receive the optical result from the second module.

[0013] According to another aspect, the optical computing system comprises at least one third module, vertically aligned with the first and second modules, below the second module, and configured to receive optical data from the second module, according to this aspect, the second module is configured as a second optical modulator (and therefore not necessarily as a processor) or as an optical processor, and the third module is configured as an optical processor or a second optical processor, respectively (i.e., depending on the configuration of the second module). At least one second prism is configured to receive optical data from the second module and to reflect the optical data to the third module. The second prism comprises a base parallel to at least one cell of the second and third modules, and disposed facing the second and third modules along a surface of the second module opposite to the surface of the second module on which the first prism is disposed, and an inclined wall connected to the base to reflect the optical data from the second module to the third module. The optical detector is configured to receive the optical results from the third module, at least in this possible configuration.

[0014] However, other spatial configurations are also contemplated by the applicant, and specific details will be mentioned only briefly below and will be more fully described in the detailed description of the present disclosure and with reference to the drawings, where reference numbers will facilitate understanding of possible examples of implementations of the optical computing system.

[0015] For example, a first module of an optical computing system may be positioned opposite (and thus not necessarily vertically aligned with) a second module.

[0016] Also, according to this variant, the optical computing system may comprise a third module, in this case arranged opposite the second module, the third module being configured as an optical processor and the optical detector being configured to receive optical results from the third module.

[0017] As already mentioned, in further embodiments of the optical computing system, each of the first module, the second module or the third module comprises a plurality of liquid crystal cells arranged adjacently horizontally and / or vertically within the plane of the first module, the second module or the third module.

[0018] Further features and advantages of the parallel optical computing method and computing system according to the present invention will be provided with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limiting examples of the invention only. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to an alternative embodiment provided in the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to another variation provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to a further variation provided in the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of the basic principles that led the applicant to devise the optical computing system provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to another variation provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to a further variation provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system according to yet another alternative embodiment provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical computing system used in accordance with a possible encoding system provided by non-limiting examples in the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 10] Detail (a) of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a possible system for coding light in a computing system according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] With reference to the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic manner, a parallel optical computing system according to the present invention, hereinafter also referred to as "computing system" for short.

[0021] The computing system 1 comprises modules, in particular a plurality of liquid crystal cells grouped together in at least one first module 10 and a second module 20 (e.g., Figures 1 and 3), and optionally a third module 30 (e.g., Figures 2 and 4) or further additional modules. As will become apparent from the following description, particular modules are designed to implement particular functions, in particular light modulation functions 100, 101 and computing functions 200, 201.

[0022] The operating principle of the computing system 1 is independent of the number of liquid crystal cells contained in the first module 10 and / or the second module 20 (and / or the third module 30 and / or the additional modules), and therefore, for the sake of easier explanation, the computing system 1 may be considered to have only one liquid crystal cell 13, 23 for each of said first module 10 and second module 20, respectively (and optionally a third liquid crystal cell 33 for the third module 30). As made clear above, it should be pointed out that the industrialization of the computing system 1, as envisaged by the applicant, is particularly suitable for the use of multiple liquid crystal cells for each of the first module 10 and the second module 20 (and optionally the third module 30), and, as will become clear from the following description, in some embodiments, using multiple modules for each function, in particular the light modulation function and the light calculation function. Therefore, in the following description, the features described below in relation to each module are independent of the number of liquid crystal cells.

[0023] The liquid crystal cells 13, 23, 33 are arranged between two glass walls 95 and are intended to intersect an infinite beam of light emitted by an unpolarized white light source 70. The white light source 70 is arranged at the input of the computing system 1 as a light source. For example, the white light source 70 comprises a number of LEDs.

[0024] white The light emitted by the color light source 70 is intended to be modulated by the first module 10 depending on the configuration or state of the liquid crystal cells 13 to represent information or data to be processed. The light thus modulated, i.e. the light output from the first module 10, is then input to the second module 20 (and optionally the third module 30 or additional modules) depending on the configuration or state of the liquid crystal cells 23, 33 of the second and / or third modules, if processed. According to various embodiments, the second module and / or the third module and / or the additional module may be associated with a modulation function or a calculation function.

[0025] A brief description of how light is processed in the module is provided below.

[0026] The light is formed by multiple light beams, but in reality it is obtained by the superposition of light beams emitted randomly by many atoms. , total The computing system 1 is configured to polarize light rays and substantially order them for their subsequent processing by liquid crystal cells of the first module 10 and the second module 20 (and optionally the third module 30 and any additional modules).

[0027] This control operation is performed inter alia by at least one polarizing filter 12 included in the first module 10 and at least one second polarizing filter 22 included in the second module 20 (or additional filters for third and / or additional modules). The light beam is intended to be further controlled by the modules 10, 20 (30), in particular by the liquid crystal cells 13, 23, 33 of the modules, which are actuated by a number of electrical impulses applied to a number of electrical contacts of said liquid crystal cells.

[0028] In modules 10, 20 (30), an electric field is applied with a predetermined programming, which causes the crystals of the liquid crystal cells 13, 23 (33) to align to allow or not allow a phase shift of the light pre-polarized by the filters 12, 22, (32), e.g., a phase shift of 0° or 90°, depending on the programming implemented to modulate the light (in the first module 10) and perform a calculation (in the second module 20).

[0029] FIG. 5 shows in schematic form the operating logic of liquid crystal cells 12 , 23 ( 33 ) that can be used to form the first module 10 and the second module 20 .

[0030] The top part of Figure 5 shows the off state of a single picture element (pixel) of a twisted nematic light modulator LCD operating in a "normally white" mode, i.e., a mode in which light is transmitted when no electric field is applied to the liquid crystal. In the off state, i.e., when no electric field is applied, a twisted configuration of nematic liquid crystal molecules (helicoidal or helical structure) is formed between two glass layers G of Figure 5, separated by various spacers and lined with transparent electrodes (not shown). The same electrodes are lined with alignment layers (also not shown in Figure 5) that twist the liquid crystal by exactly 90° in the absence of an external electric field, as shown in the top part of Figure 5.

[0031] When a light source with polarized light (indicated by the incoming horizontal arrow on the left side of Figure 5) illuminates the front of the screen, the light passes through the first polarizer P2 and from the polarizer into the liquid crystal where it is rotated by the helical structure. The light is then appropriately polarized to pass through the second polarizer P1, which is set at 90° to the first polarizer. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 5 (top of the drawing), the light passes through the back of the cell and the image appears transparent (white square on the right). This appearance of light (transparent) can be associated with optical information.

[0032] Instead, in the on-state, i.e. when an electric field is applied between the two electrodes, the crystals are realigned with the external electric field (bottom of Figure 5). This configuration prevents the liquid crystals from rotating, so that the polarized light passing through them is not reoriented. In this case, the light is blocked by the rear polarizer P1, and the image appears opaque (black square on the right). This appearance of light (opaque) can be associated with different optical information than that associated with the light's initial appearance (transparent).

[0033] Based on the above operation logic, each module, i.e., the first module 10 and the second module 20 of the computing system 1, as well as any other modules 30, etc., may be formed using filters P1, P2. .child These filters are, for example, shown in the drawings at 12 and 22 (FIG. 1) and 32 (FIG. 2), and the liquid crystal cells are shown at 13, 23 (FIG. 1) and 33 (FIG. 33), each of said cells making it possible to control light as described above.

[0034] The computing system 1 may advantageously be interfaced at its input and / or output with a serial input interface providing the data to be processed in the form of electrical signals, and / or a serial output interface arranged to receive electrical data already processed by the computing system 1, after modulating and processing in parallel a large number of parallel mathematical operations in parallel. The electrical input data is converted into light which is correspondingly modulated by the first module 10 of the computing system 1. Similarly, the optical data processed by the computing system 1, in particular the data processed by the second module 20, is reconverted into data or electrical signals by the photodetector 40 of the computing system 1.

[0035] The hardware of the first module 10 and the second module 20 comprise electro-optical modulation devices and, in principle, the hardware of the first module 10 and the second module 20 may be very similar or even corresponding, but it is the programming of the hardware that determines the modulation or computation function in the computing system 1, so that, in at least one possible embodiment of the computing system 1, the first module 10 is essentially provided with the functionality of an "optical modulator" and the second module 20 with the functionality of an "optical processor".

[0036] The conversion of information into optical data allows the implementation of parallel processing by applying various variants of mathematical logic, for example multi-valued mathematical logic. The final result of the processing of the computing system 1 can be transferred to one or more other successive computing systems 1, i.e. other parallel optical computing systems, or can be converted back into serial data by the optical detector 40, as already mentioned above.

[0037] Figure 1 With reference to , the liquid crystal cells are grouped to form a first light modulator module 10 and a second computation module 20, which are aligned perpendicular to one another in a plane and are therefore coplanar and intended to form a device or display of a given size (in inches). . TareThe directly arranged cells face an optical prism 50 designed to deflect the light beam output from the cell of the first module 10 by 180 degrees towards the corresponding cell of the second module 20 with a displacement on the display equal to the size of the cell. Mo for a precise and particularly compact spatial arrangement of the modules and the respective cells Leave , the photodetector 40 faces the second module 20 along a surface of the second module 20 opposite the surface of the second module that is designed to receive at its input light from the first module 10 after appropriate deflection by the first optical prism 50.

[0038] A computing system 1 of the type shown in Fig. 1 can advantageously be used to perform computational operations using binary algebra. An unpolarized light source 70 emits a light beam that is controlled by a (at least one) first polarizing filter 12 and then enters a cell 13 of a first module 10. The polarizing filter 12 and the cell 13 of the first module 10 form a light modulator 10 of the computing system 1, which has the function of modulating the light so that it represents the serial data to be processed.

[0039] A light beam corresponding to the information to be processed is emitted from the light modulator 10 and deflected by 180 degrees by a prism 50 to enter a second module 20 comprising a second liquid crystal cell 23 arranged vertically along the first module, i.e. the respective cells of the modules 20, 10 are substantially coplanar. The light beam passing through the cell 23 of the second module 20 has a polarization that depends on the state of the cell 23, pre-programmed according to the calculation to be performed using the second module 20, and may traverse a polarizing filter 22. Finally, the light beam output from the polarizing filter 22 is detected by a photodetector 40, representing the result of the computing system 1.

[0040] As already mentioned, the computing system 1 can be configured to perform computation operations of multi-valued logic. For example, referring to FIG. 2 (but not limited to use based on multi-valued computation logic), the computing system 1 is configured to include a third module 30. The computing system 1 includes, in particular, three modules 10, 20, 30, each of which has at least one liquid crystal cell 13, 23, 33, a light source 70, a polarizing filter 12, 22, 32, two optical prisms 50 and 80, and a photodetector 40. The unpolarized light source 70 emits a light beam controlled by the first filter 12, which then enters the cell 13 of the first module 10 and crosses the second polarizing filter 42. The two polarizing filters 12, 42 and the cell 12 of the first module 10 form a light modulator 10.

[0041] The light beam, appropriately modulated, i.e. corresponding to the data to be processed in optical form, leaves the light modulator 10, enters the prism 50 and is deflected from there towards the polarizing filter 82 of the second module 20, and from the polarizing filter 82 to the liquid crystal cell 23 of the second module 20, in the given example by 180 degrees. The liquid crystal cell 23 of the second module 20 is vertically aligned, i.e. coplanar, with the cell 13 of the first module 10, and both cells 13, 23 have a surface parallel to the surface or base of the prism 50, which, based on a very compact hardware structure, is configured to input the light beams modulated by the first module 10 into the prism 50 and to output the same light beams again and redirect them to the input of the second module 20, in particular to the polarizing filter 82.

[0042] The light ray traversing the second cell 23 continues with a given polarization, depending on the programming of the cell 23 as previously described, and traverses the polarizing filter 22 of the second module 20 and exits therefrom towards the second prism 80.

[0043] The second prism 80 has the same function of deflecting the light rays of the first prism 50, but is placed between the second module 20 and the third module 30, i.e. the surface of the prism 80 is parallel to the surfaces of the cells 23 and 33 of the second and third modules 20, 30, facing the surfaces of the respective filters 22, 32, and in particular is appropriately spaced from them so that the light rays emitted by the cell 23 of the second module 20 exactly enter the cell 33 of the third module 30. This entrance into the cell 33 of the third module 30 is controlled by the filter 32 of the module 30, which is placed between the prism 80 and the cell 33.

[0044] The flow of light through the third module 30 therefore does not need to be further described here and reaches the photodetector 40 via the filter 62 of the third module 30 .

[0045] The light beam passing along the cell 33 of the third module 30, with a polarization that depends on the state of the cell 33, pre-programmed according to the computation performed with the third module 30, may traverse a polarizing filter 62. Finally, the light beam output from the polarizing filter 62 is detected by the photodetector 40 and represents the result of the computational system 1.

[0046] In Figure 2 Related , No. The second module 20 can be configured as an optical modulation module or as a computation module, i.e. as an additional modulator to the first modulation module 10 or as an additional processor to the second computation module, formed by the third module 30. Is .

[0047] The third module 30 may in fact be configured as a first computation module when the second module 20 is configured as a second modulation module, or as a second computation module when the second module 20 is configured as a first computation module.

[0048] The description provided so far with reference to Figures 1 and 2 relates to a computing system 1 formed in a so-called minimal configuration, by only two or by three liquid crystal cells, i.e. by one cell per module described. However, as already mentioned, the structure can be expanded so that multiple cells are included in each of the modules of the configuration of Figure 1 or 2 and / or multiple modulation and / or computing modules are used, in a vertical and / or horizontally adjacent arrangement forming a kind of screen of the computing system 1.

[0049] Figures 6 and 7 show an extended form of the system shown in figures 1 and 2, respectively. In both figures 6 and 7, the structure of modules, filters and sources may be repeated vertically and horizontally, thus extending the computing system along two directions X, Y of the plane, which corresponds to a substantially bidirectional extension of the form of optical screens of the optical system 1. To further increase the computing power, a so-called three-dimensional extension of the computing system is also conceivable, in which multiple screens are arranged side by side perpendicular to the directions X and Y and parallel along the direction Z.

[0050] Disclosed Various example According to the present invention, the spatial configuration of the components of the computing system 1, i.e., the relative arrangement of the modules 10-30, the light source 70, and the detector 40, may be varied. the law of nature , it is not necessary to position it along the prism. ,figure See 3 and 4 Disclosed examples It is.

[0051] In Fig. 3, the first module 10 and the second module 20 are opposite each other and are arranged between the light source 70 and the detector 40 along an axis perpendicular to the surface of the first filter 12, the surface of the cell 13 of the first module 10, the surface of the cell 23 of the second module 20, and the surface of the second filter 22. In a manner similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1, this Figure 3 In the example case teeth, a first module 1 is configured as a modulator 100 and a second module 2 is configured as a processor 200 .

[0052] In FIG. 4, the first module 10 and the second module 20 are again opposite each other and are disposed between the light source 70 and the detector 40 along an axis perpendicular to the surface of the first filter 12, the surface of the cells 13 of the first module 10, the surface of the cells 23 of the second module 20, and the surface of the second filter 22. Example 2, a third module 30 is further inserted between the second module 20 and the detector 40 and comprises a cell 33 and two filters 32A and 32B with surfaces perpendicular to the axis. In this case, the first module 1 can be configured as a modulator 100, the second module 2 can be configured as a second modulator 101 or as a first processor 200 and the third module can be configured as a first processor 200 or as a second processor 202, in a manner similar to that described with reference to FIG.

[0053] Figure 8 shows diagrammatically an extension of the system according to figures 3 or 4 with multiple liquid crystal cells per module. In particular, a non-polarised white light source is indicated at 70, for example in the form of a first LCD screen 10, configured to emit multiple light rays intended to be controlled by at least a first polarising filter 12 and by multiple cells 13 of the first module 10.

[0054] The first polarizing filter 12 and the cell 13 of the first module 10 form an optical modulator 100 of the computing system 1, which has the function of converting serial data into optical data to be processed.

[0055] The first module 10 generates at its output a number of light beams corresponding to a number of cells 13 of the module 10, each light beam having a polarization that depends on the state of the respective cell 13. The light beams are input to respective cells 23 of the second module 20. These light beams are processed by the second module 20, in particular each light beam is processed by a corresponding cell 23 of the second module 20 depending on the state of the cell 23. The light beams thus processed represent the results of the computing system 1, intended to be detected by a number of sensors of a detector 40, each sensor being associated with a light beam output by a second polarizing filter 22 located between the detector 40 and the second module 20.

[0056] The extended computing system 1 can similarly be derived from the basic structure shown in FIG.

[0057] 11 shows examples of possible ways to code light in a computing system 1 based on a binary, ternary, quaternary, double-rail system or an n-rail system. The coding system is used during modulation to represent the data to be processed and to attribute to light properties corresponding to the data to be processed.

[0058] In the coding system, the information is represented not only by the fact that light is opaque (black) or white (transparent), as already explained above, but also by further properties of the light (i.e. light rays), in particular the direction of white light, as indicated by the respective arrows in the white square in FIG. 11, or further colors such as blue, green and red, as indicated by the respective colored squares in FIG. 11, or the direction of colored light, as indicated by the respective arrows in the colored squares in FIG. 11.

[0059] FIG. 9 illustrates in schematic form and based on a logical system (ie, essentially relating to the hardware arrangement of components) the operation of a computing system 1, based for example on the hardware architecture of FIG.

[0060] In the first module 10 and the second module 20, serial data input to the computing system is encoded by one of the encoding systems shown in Figure 11, thus imparting a predetermined modulation to the light, which represents the input data in optical form. This is shown in the logic diagram of Figure 9 as the output of the second module 20.

[0061] The third module 30 applies a calculation to the light rays output from the second module 20. This calculation is predefined with a calculation mask that transforms the input light data (i.e. the light rays) to the third module 30. The calculation mask is not clearly visible in FIG. 9 and is therefore shown enlarged in FIG. 10. The calculation mask is predefined inside the third module 30 according to the calculation, i.e. the processing performed on the light rays. The third module can thus be configured by redefining different calculation masks.

[0062] Here too, based on the encoding system employed for the modulation of the light, for example one of the systems shown in FIG. 11, the result of the light calculation can be converted back in the detector 40 into corresponding digital data for the external system.

Claims

1. 1. A parallel optical computing system, comprising: a first module (10) comprising at least one polarizing filter (12) and at least one liquid crystal cell (13), the first module (10) being configured as a light modulator (100) for receiving light from a light source (70) and encoding the light output from the liquid crystal cell (13) into light data to be processed; a second module (20) comprising at least one polarizing filter (22) and at least one liquid crystal cell (23), said second module (20) being configured as an optical processor (200) for receiving the optical data to be processed and for outputting an optical result of the processing; at least one optical detector (40) designed to receive the optical result of the process and convert the optical result into a corresponding electrical result; Equipped with The first module (10) comprises a plurality of liquid crystal cells (13), each of the plurality of liquid crystal cells (13) of the first module (10) is configured to transmit a modulated light beam toward a respective one of the plurality of cells (23) of the second module (20), the plurality of liquid crystal cells (13) of the first module (10) and the plurality of cells (23) of the second module (20) are arranged in the same plane, each of the cells (23) of the second module is arranged at a predetermined distance from the cell (13) of the first module (10) in the same plane, the light beam emitted from the cell (13) of the first module (10) in a direction +Z perpendicular to the same plane is reflected in a direction -Z, the optical modulator (100) is configured to modulate incident light based on a predetermined binary, ternary, quaternary, dual-rail logic encoding system, or n-rail logic encoding system; the optical processor (200) is configured to perform a calculation on a light beam emitted by the optical modulator (100), the calculation corresponding to a calculation mask predefined in the optical processor (200) in response to the calculation; the light processor (200) is programmable by redefining various computational masks in the light processor (200), the computational masks being loaded into the light processor (200) as predetermined states of a plurality of liquid crystal cells of the light processor; the parallel optical computing system comprises at least one prism (50) associated with cells (13, 23) of the first module (10) and the second module (20) for receiving the optical data from the first module (10) and reflecting the optical data to the second module (20); the first module (10) and the second module (20) are aligned perpendicular to the Z direction, and the prism (50) is parallel to a plurality of cells (13, 23) of the first module (10) and the second module (20), and comprises a base (51) arranged opposite the first module (10) and the second module (20), and an inclined wall (52) connected to the base (51) for reflecting the optical data from the first module (10) to the second module (20); A parallel optical computing system, wherein the light ray emitted from the cell (13) of the first module (10) in the +Z direction is reflected by the inclined wall (52) of the prism (50) in the -Z direction.

2. The parallel optical computing system of claim 1 , wherein the second module (20) is configured as an optical processor (200) and the optical detector (40) is configured to receive the optical result from the second module (20).

3. The parallel optical computing system includes a third module (30) that is vertically aligned with the first module (10) and the second module (20) below the second module (20) and configured to receive the optical data from the second module (20); at least one second prism (80) that receives the optical data from the second module (20) and reflects the optical data to the third module (30); 2. The parallel optical computing system of claim 1, wherein the second prism (80) is parallel to the cells (23, 33) of the second module (20) and the third module (30), and comprises a base (81) disposed facing the second module (20) and the third module (30) along a surface of the second module (20) opposite a surface of the second module (20) on which the first prism (50) is disposed, and a slanted wall (86) connected to the base (81) to reflect the optical data from the second module (20) to the third module (30), and the optical detector (40) is configured to receive the optical results from the third module (30).

4. 2. The parallel optical computing system of claim 1, wherein the cells (13, 23) of the first module (10) and the second module (20) are arranged horizontally and vertically adjacent in a plane of the first module (10) and the second module (20), and the adjacent arrangement of cells along two orthogonal axes X, Y of the plane forms a screen of the parallel optical computing system.

5. The parallel optical computing system of claim 4 , wherein the parallel optical computing system comprises a plurality of aligned screens or an array of aligned screens.

6. The parallel optical computing system of claim 1 , wherein the light source (70) comprises a plurality of unpolarized light sources or LEDs, each of the light sources aligned with a respective liquid crystal cell (13) of the first module (10).

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