ELECTROOPTICAL MATRIX MULTIPLICATION USING THE TWOS COMPLEMENT ARITHMETIC FOR IMPROVED ACCURACY

The improved electrooptic signal processing relies upon matrix-matrix multiplication using twos complement arithmetic. A source of pulse collimated light illuminates two two-dimension spatial light modulators that operate in a reflective mode through a polarizing beamsplitter. Each of the spatial light modulators has a matrix of optically encoded information of numbers in the twos complement binary representation so that a mixed binary representation of signals is generated within the two-dimensioned photodetector array. The mixed binary representation signals are decoded to a twos complement binary representation or a decimal representation to be useful for more conventional processing techniques. The twos complement arithmetic when incorporated with the electrooptic architecture provides for a convenient means for handling bipolar numbers, avoids the need for matrix partitioning when the matrices are real and offers a means to improve accuracy over conventional optical analog techniques.