Optoelectronic neural networks and learning machines

A brief neural-net primer based on phase-space and energy landscape considerations is presented. This provides the basis for subsequent discussion of optoelectronic architectures and implementations with self-organization and learning ability that are configured around an optical crossbar interconnect. Stochastic learning in the context of a Boltzmann machine is described to illustrate the flexibility of optoelectronics in performing tasks that may be difficult for electronics alone. Stochastic nets are studied to gain insight into the possible role of noise in biological neural nets. A description is given of two approaches to realizing large-scale optoelectronic neurocomputers: integrated optoelectronic neural chips with interchip optical interconnects that allow their clustering into large neural networks, and nets with a two-dimensional rather than one-dimensional arrangement of neurons and four-dimensional connectivity matrices for increased packing density and compatibility with two-dimensional data.<>