High speed optical matrix multiplier system

A high-speed optical matrix multiplier system for performing matrix-vector multiplication of the form

• ((A.sub.M,N)) B.sub.N,l = C.sub.M,l
• where
• A.sub.M,N .tbd.M .times. N, representative of a linear matrix operator
• B.sub.N,l .tbd.N .times. l, representative of a column vector input
• C.sub.M,l .tbd.M .times. l, representative of a column vector processed output
• comprising:
• M number of optical waveguides for transmitting continuous wave, polarized light energy;
• a source of continuous wave, polarized light energy arranged to transmit its output along the optical paths defined by said optical waveguides;
• first optical modulating means coupled to said optical waveguides and responsive to a column vector type input signal for temporally modulating the light energy transmitted;
• second optical modulating means coupled to said optical waveguides and responsive to a row vector type input signal for temporally modulating the light energy transmitted by said optical waveguides,
• a polarization analyzer for converting the resultant modulations in polarization and phase of light energy to commensurate intensity modulations for each optical waveguide;
• and
• a photo-responsive detector disposed to receive and cumulatively store the modulated light energy output of each optical waveguide over a time period synchronous with the time periods of said column vector type input signal and said row vector type input signal.