Optoelectronic neuron array for nonlinear optical modulation

Abstract

An optoelectronic neuron array device is disclosed that merges 2D transparent phototransistors (TPTs) with liquid crystal (LC) modulators. The device allows self-amplitude modulation of spatially incoherent light, achieving a large nonlinear contrast over a broad spectrum at orders-of-magnitude lower intensity than achievable in most optical nonlinear materials. A 10,000-pixel array of optoelectronic neurons was fabricated and an intelligent imaging system was experimentally demonstrated that instantly attenuates input glares while retaining the weaker-intensity objects captured by a cellphone camera. This intelligent glare-reduction is important for various imaging applications, including autonomous driving, machine vision, and security cameras. The rapid nonlinear processing of incoherent broadband light also finds applications in optical computing, where nonlinear activation functions for ambient light conditions are highly sought.

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