LED Photonic Matrix Multiplication With Reduced On-Chip Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional photonic processors face challenges in reducing on-chip spatial requirements for performing mathematical operations, such as matrix multiplication, due to the spatial demands of photonic components like waveguides and lasers, which limit processing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A photonic device utilizing a modulatable LED configured to emit visible light, optically coupled with a modulatable detector, and controlled by a controller to encode values directly in light emission and detector characteristics, reducing the need for external modulators and waveguides, thereby minimizing on-chip real estate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional photonic processors use waveguides and lasers to perform mathematical operations, then processing capability is achieved, but on-chip spatial requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light source and modulator functions into a single LED component, and the detector and demodulator functions into a single photodetector component. This integration eliminates the need for separate waveguides and external modulators, significantly reducing on-chip spatial requirements while maintaining mathematical operation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The LED serves multiple functions: generating light and modulating it with data simultaneously. The photodetector also performs multiple functions: detecting light and demodulating the signal simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed, thereby reducing on-chip area
2Ease of operation
If external modulators and waveguides are used in photonic processors, then signal transmission is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the modulator with the LED and the demodulator with the photodetector, eliminating the need for external modulators and complex waveguide structures. This simplification reduces device complexity while maintaining signal transmission functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates unnecessary external components (separate modulators and waveguides) from the system, keeping only the essential LED and photodetector components that can perform both generation/detection and modulation/demodulation functions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances on-chip spatial utilization, improves signal-to-noise ratio with coherent light, and reduces power consumption and fabrication costs, enabling more efficient and parallel computations within a given chip size.
Implementation Method 1
a modulatable LED configured to emit visible light
Implementation Method 2
a modulatable detector optically coupled to an output of the LED
Data Source
AI summary
Photonic processors are described herein that are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication by directly encoding a first value in the output of the light source. Some embodiments relate to a photonic device configured to perform a mathematical operation, the photonic device comprising a modulatable light emitting diode (LED) and a modulatable detector. The modulatable LED being configured to emit light. The modulatable detector being optically coupled to an output of the modulatable LED. The photonic device further comprising, a controller being configured to encode a first value in the light emitted by the modulatable LED and to encode a second value in a characteristic of the modulatable detector; and a receiver configured to determine a result of the mathematical operation based on an electrical signal produced by the modulatable detector.