Optical Computers provides the first in-depth review of the possibilities and limitations of optical data processing.

While there are books treating individual topics contained in this book, this will be the first single volume providing a cohesive treatment on this subject as a whole. This goes beyond optical communications in that it includes related topics such as sensing, displays, computing, and data storage.

Quantum information processing offers fundamental improvements over classical information processing, such as computing power, secure communication, and high-precision measurements. However, the best way to create practical devices is not yet known. This textbook describes the techniques that are likely to be used in implementing optical quantum information processors. After developing the fundamental concepts in quantum optics and quantum information theory, the book shows how optical systems can be used to build quantum computers according to the most recent ideas. It discusses implementations based on single photons and linear optics, optically controlled atoms and solid-state systems, atomic ensembles, and optical continuous variables. This book is ideal for graduate students beginning research in optical quantum information processing. It presents the most important techniques of the field using worked examples and over 120 exercises.

Optical Computing Hardware provides information pertinent to the advances in the development of optical computing hardware. This book discusses the two application areas, namely, high-performance computing and high-throughput photonic switching. Organized into 11 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the requirements on hardware from s system perspective. This text then presents the self-electro-optic-effect devices (SPEED), the vertical-cavity-surface- emitting microlasers (VCSEL), and the vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device (VSTEP). Other chapters consider the fundamental principles of the devices and their operation either as logic devices or for optical interconnection applications. This book discusses as well the planar optical microlens as an example of a refractive microlens of the gradient-index type and explains the diffractive optical elements. The final chapter describes a method for writing and reading optically in parallel from a three-dimensional matrix by means of two-photon interaction in photochromic organic materials. This book is a valuable resource for engineers, scientists, and researchers.

Optics is entering all phases of computer technology. By providing new research and ideas, it brings the reader up to date on how and why optics is likely to be used in next generation computers and at the same time explains the unique advantage optics enjoys over conventional electronics and why this trend will continue. Covered are basic optical concepts such as mathematical derivations, optical devices for optical computing, optical associative memories, optical interconnections, and optical logic. Also suggested are a number of research activities that are reinforcing the trend toward optics in computing, including neural networks, the software crisis, highly parallel computation, progress in new semiconductors, the decreasing cost of laser diodes, communication industry investments in fiber optics, and advances in optical devices. Exercises, solutions sets, and examples are provided.

Few books comprehensively cover the software and programming aspects of reversible computing. Filling this gap, Introduction to Reversible Computing offers an expanded view of the field that includes the traditional energy-motivated hardware viewpoint as well as the emerging application-motivated software approach. Collecting scattered knowledge into one coherent account, the book provides a compendium of both classical and recently developed results on reversible computing. It explores up-and-coming theories, techniques, and tools for the application of reversible computing—the logical next step in the evolution of computing systems. The book covers theory, hardware and software aspects, fundamental limits, complexity analyses, practical algorithms, compilers, efficiency improvement techniques, and application areas. The topics span several areas of computer science, including high-performance computing, parallel/distributed systems, computational theory, compilers, power-aware computing, and supercomputing. The book presents sufficient material for newcomers to easily get started. It provides citations to original articles on seminal results so that readers can consult the corresponding publications in the literature. Pointers to additional resources are included for more advanced topics. For those already familiar with a certain topic within reversible computing, the book can serve as a one-stop reference to other topics in the field.