A Guided-Wave Acoustooptic Matrix Algebra Processor Module*

Various architectures for implementing matrix algebra processors (MAPs) have been proposed and developed in bulk-wave optical systems(1−7) as well as in integrated optic (IO) devices(8−10) Bulk-wave optical systems have the advantage of an added dimension in implementing 3-D architectures over planar IO devices in which only 2-D architectures are possible. But the IO devices have the potential advantages in terms of drive power requirement, size, robustness, stability and planar technology for mass production. In this paper, we report on a guided-wave acoustooptic (AO) analog MAP module that is capable of implementing high-speed matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplications. The architecture, the working principle, and a preliminary MAP constructed on a 1.0 X 10.0 X 28.0 mm3 Y-cut LiNbO3 substrate to demonstrate the multiplication of a 4 X 4 matrix with a 4-element vector, are presented.