COMBINATORIAL LOGIC-BASED OPTICAL COMPUTING METHOD AND APPARATUS

An optical computer apparatus and method in which binary operations are implemented by utilizing optical elements to perform AND-OR-INVERT operations of the binary operation and combinatorial logic elements perform the remaining operations. Preferably, a pair of acousto-optic cells are energized by binary data, which data are supplied by combinatorial logic, and which cells modulate light rays that are focused on detectors which determine the presence or absence of light. The particular combination of data supplied by the combinatorial logic is a function of the operations remaining in the desired binary operation once any AND-OR-INVERT functions have been implemented by way of optical structures. Further, the propagational time through the acousto-optic cells is utilized to implement systolic type implementations of binary functions.