Neuromorphic Photonics

Mitchell A. Nahmias, Bhavin J. Shastri, Alexander N. Tait, Thomas Ferreira de Lima and Paul R. Prucnal

Photonic neural networks have the potential to revolutionize the speed, energy efficiency and throughput of modern computing—and to give Moore’s law–style scaling a new lease on life.

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In an age overrun with information, the ability to process vast volumes of data has become crucial. The proliferation of microelectronics has enabled the emergence of next-generation industries to support emerging artificial-intelligence services and high-performance computing. These data-intensive enterprises rely on continual improvements in hardware—and the demand for data will continue to grow as smart gadgets multiply and become ever more integrated into our daily lives. Unfortunately, however, those prospects are running up against a stark reality: the exponential hardware scaling in digital electronics, most famously embodied in Moore’s law, is fundamentally unsustainable.

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