Optical multiplication system and optical multiplication method

An optical multiplication system, comprising:

• a light input arrangement;
• a first modulator comprising rows and columns of first modulator elements and configured to spatially modulate light received from the light input arrangement, wherein the first modulator is configured to encode values of a first matrix in the rows and columns of the first modulator elements, the first matrix defining a plurality of input vectors each corresponding to a respective row of the first matrix;
• a second modulator comprising rows and columns of second modulator elements and configured to spatially modulate light received from the first modulator, wherein the second modulator is configured to encode values of a second matrix in the rows and columns of the second modulator elements;
• a light-summing optical arrangement configured to converge light output from each row of second modulator elements to encode a plurality of output vectors representing the results of vector-matrix multiplication between a respective plurality of the input vectors and the second matrix;
• a third modulator comprising rows and columns of third modulator elements and configured to spatially modulate light received from the second modulator, wherein the third modulator is configured to encode values of a third matrix in the rows and columns of the third modulator elements;
• and
• a further light-summing optical arrangement configured to converge light output from each column of third modulator elements to encode a plurality of further output vectors representing the results of vector-matrix multiplication between respective output vectors from the second modulator and the third matrix encoded by the third modulator.

A method of performing optical multiplication, comprising:

• using a deflector to direct light from a source to illuminate a selected row or selected rows of first modulator elements of a first modulator;
• using the first modulator to spatially modulate light received from the deflector, wherein the first modulator encodes values of a first matrix in the rows and columns of the first modulator elements, the first matrix defining a plurality of input vectors each corresponding to a respective row of the first matrix;
• using a second modulator comprising rows and columns of second modulator elements to spatially modulate light received from the first modulator, wherein the second modulator encodes values of a second matrix in the rows and columns of the second modulator elements;
• and
• converging light output from each row of second modulator elements to encode a plurality of output vectors representing the results of vector-matrix multiplication between a respective plurality of the input vectors and the second matrix.

A method of performing optical multiplication, comprising:

• using a first modulator comprising rows and columns of first modulator elements to spatially modulate light received from a light input arrangement, wherein the first modulator encodes values of a first matrix in the rows and columns of the first modulator elements, the first matrix defining a plurality of input vectors each corresponding to a respective row of the first matrix;
• using a second modulator comprising rows and columns of second modulator elements to spatially modulate light received from the first modulator, wherein the second modulator is configured to encode values of a second matrix in the rows and columns of the second modulator elements;
• converging light output from each row of second modulator elements to encode a plurality of output vectors representing the results of vector-matrix multiplication between a respective plurality of the input vectors and the second matrix;
• using a third modulator comprising rows and columns of third modulator elements to spatially modulate light received from the second modulator, wherein the third modulator encodes values of a third matrix in the rows and columns of the third modulator elements;
• and
• converging light output from each column of third modulator elements to encode a plurality of further output vectors representing the results of vector-matrix multiplication between respective output vectors from the second modulator and the third matrix encoded by the third modulator.