ABSTRACT
The topic of optical computing (OC) dates to the early 1960s, or perhaps before, when the military became interested in utilizing the Fourier transform (FT) relationships essential in coherent optical imaging systems to perform processes like convolution and correlation. The practical concerns of compiling high-resolution imaging optical systems, the shallow depth of field, the accuracy inferred in the lenses, and the mechanical tolerances and massive dimensions of constructed structures are all simple issues that are conveniently overlooked by many. The switches, optical logic gates (OLGs), and memory components that regulate the flow of electrons in an electronic computer would be replaced by optical systems in a digital optical computer. Optical switches can be made from electro-optic modulators, acousto-optic modulators, magneto-optic modulators, and liquid crystals, among other forms of optical modulators. The urgent demand for optical technology relies on the fact that the time response of electrical circuits limits today's computers.
