Reconfigurable optical logic operations through scattering media with wavefront shaping

Optical logic gates are fundamental blocks of optical computing to accelerate information processing. While significant progress has been achieved in recent years, existing implementations typically rely on dedicated structures that are predesigned to modulate the phases and intensities of optical beams accurately for specific logic functions. Thus, these optical gates usually lack reconfigurability and are incapable within or through dynamic complex media/environment, such as fog and turbid water. In this work, as a conceptual demonstration, we propose reconfigurable optical logic operations through scattering media with transmission matrix-based wavefront shaping. A light beam is reflected by a spatial light modulator divided into several subregions functioning as logic units, with each displayed with predetermined wavefronts via transmission matrix-based wavefront shaping. Each modulated wavefront transmits through the scattering medium to form a desired light field. The interference of these light fields generates bright optical focus at pre-assigned locations, representing different logic states. As a proof of concept, we experimentally demonstrate five basic logic functions (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR). As the transmission matrix of the scattering medium/system can be measured instantly to adapt to environment perturbation, the method, if further engineered, opens new venues towards reconfigurable optical logic computing in a dynamically complex environment.
Comment: 26 pages,12 figures