Digital data processing in optoelectronic devices (review)

A review is given of the literature on optoelectronic methods for digital data processing. The possibilities of constructing various optoelectronic logic elements and of arithmetic devices based on these elements are considered. An analysis is made of the processing methods in optical memory systems and of the characteristics of optoelectronic computing devices in which nonpositional notation systems or systems with redundancy are used. The published principles are given for optoelectronic processes operating on two-dimensional data arrays. Their potentialities are considered and the competitiveness of optoelectronic computing systems is compared with that of electronic computers.