Nonlinear optoelectronic engine drives monolithic integrated photonic computing

Abstract

The rapidly growing computational demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and complex optimization tasks are increasingly straining conventional electronic architectures, driving the search for novel, energy-efficient processing paradigms. Photonic computing, which harnesses the unique properties of light to perform computation, has emerged as a compelling alternative. This perspective highlights a key advancement: a versatile nonlinear optoelectronic engine based on integrated photodetectors and micro-ring modulators (PD + MRM). This engine enables crucial functionalities like nonlinear activation and signal relay, forming a core building block for monolithic photonic processors. Its application in integrating optical Ising machines for optimization and optical recurrent neural networks (RNNs) for AI has been examined recently. The PD + MRM unit’s inherent compactness, efficiency, and on-chip reconfigurable nonlinearity address historical photonic computing challenges, signaling a shift towards more versatile and scalable monolithic photonic processors.