Applications in Optical Computing (OC)
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- Pattern Recognition
- Telecomunications
Pattern recognition is currently implement successfully in optical computers for military applications such as target recognition. The limitation of this technology is the spatial light modulator (SLM). This is a device that takes information and formats it in space so an optical system can operate on it. The most common SLM is the liquid crystal display.
Liquid crystals have an update rate of 30 times a second. This limits the power of optical computers for this application. Lightwave Logic technology will enable SLM update rates of more than a million times per second increasing the power of these optical computers by more than 30,000 and greatly increasing their range of applications.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications applications of OC include complex multiwavelength modems that increase the capacity of an optical fiber and greatly increase the range of transmission without optical to electronic to optical (OEO) regeneration (a very costly operation). A second optical telecom application of OC is an all optical privacy device that will provide security for all of the information on an optical fiber. Finally there is the intelligent optical router that will switch wavelengths rapidly and without the need for costly OEO regeneration.
