Optalysys White Paper

Date

23rd February 2015

Description

This whitepaper describes Optalysyss

revolutionary optical technology, the key
differentiators compared to traditional High
Performance Computing (HPC) systems,
development progress to date and general
applications.

Optalysys Research Centre

University of Cambridge
9 JJ Thomson Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 0FA

Optalysys Development
Centre
Cedars Business Centre
Barnsley Road
Pontefract
WF9 4PU
Tel: +44 (0) 1977 624 386
Email: info@optalysys.com

1.

Introduction

Todays computers deliver complex numerical models and data analysis, for business,
industry and research. The size and speed of these models is ever-increasing: more raw data
is available for input and more sophisticated information is demanded as output. But the
largest supercomputers are unable to cope, even when harnessing many thousands of powerhungry processors. Optalysys believe that, by using a novel optical process, these same
models may be optically calculated using lasers and sensors, faster, cheaper and using much
less power.
This paper describes the optical technology that Optalysys is developing, the key differentiators
compared to traditional High Performance Computing (HPC) systems, development progress to date
and general applications.

2. The Technology
Overview
Optical processing uses low power laser light, rather than electricity, to perform processor-intensive
mathematical functions, such as Fourier Transforms (FTs), in parallel at high speeds and resolutions.
Using the principles of diffraction, two-dimensional Fourier transforms may be
calculated optically using low power (mW) laser light, a lens and a
Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor to capture the
result. Numerical data is entered using liquid crystal microdisplays known as
Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs).
900
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300
200
100
0
0

G (u, v ) = FT [ g ( x, y )] = g ( x, y ) exp[ i 2 (ux + vy )]dxdy

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Number of data points, N

(NxN array)

Two dimensional Fourier Transform equations and optical FT, with comparison of
In electronic systems, the FT is a highly processor intensive operation, based upon the Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT) algorithms. Typically, as the resolution doubles, the process time quadruples.
However, with the optics the process time remains the same, performing the calculations in parallel
and at the speed of light. By adding a second FT stage, more advanced mathematical operations
may be calculated.

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CMOS
sensor
Filter SLMs
Input
SLM
f
f
f
f

FT Lenses

A classical 4-f diffractive optical system

The 4-f system shown above is the basis of many diffractive optical processing systems and is based
upon well established theory and principles dating back to the 1960s. It comprises of two optical
Fourier transform stages (one FT and one Inverse FT) with a matrix multiplication stage in the centre.
The two main functions we are concerned with are matched filter correlation and spectral derivatives.

Optical Correlation Pattern Recognition

Optical correlation allows multiple input patterns to be compared against a reference patterns,
producing intensity spots that convey both similarity and relative alignment information. The layout
above may be employed as a Matched Filter correlator, where the correlation between the input
function and a reference function is given by:

g(x, y) r(x, y) = IFT [G(u,v)* R(u,v)]

where the uppercase letters denote the Fourier Transform of the lower case functions; x,y are the
space co-ordinates; u,v are the spatial frequency co-ordinates.

input

reference

E
Optical correlation pattern recognition

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Optical Derivatives
Using the same 4-f system, two-dimensional spectral derivative functions of arbitrary order and
direction may be calculated, using the formula below:

d n g ( x)
= FT [(i 2u ) n G (u )]
n
dx
These derivative functions form the basis of simulations that are governed by partial differential
equations, such as the Navier-Stokes equations in the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) of the type used in weather forecasting and high-end engineering.
By combining multiple derivative stages together, the potential exists to create all-optical solver
systems, as shown below:

Navier-Stokes equations (l) and optical solver concept

Crucially, the process is an Order 1 operation that is: the time taken to process one stage is the
same as the time taken to process multiple stages, since processing is carried out in parallel.

Optalysys Intellectual Property

The Optalysys technology uses established optical principles, but how the systems are produced and
applied is unique and protected. The company owns several international patents and ongoing
applications which cover the concepts of the technology and actively seeks to protect new inventions
in the same way.
Historically there have been two main limiting factors to the development of diffractive optical
processing technology:
1. The availability of high resolution, high speed and dynamically addressable methods of inputting
the data into the optical domain.
2. The strict alignment criteria on each device in the optical system.
The Optalysys technology breaks through these barriers, firstly by using state of the art liquid crystal
micro displays (SLMs) and then by using the displays as
both the means to not only input the numerical data, but
also to focus the light through the system. Coupled with
proprietary methods to align, position and fix the
displays, large optical systems may be realised that
would otherwise be unviable. Furthermore the systems
can be dynamically reconfigured and calibrated using a
software, rather than hardware process. Multiple inregister SLMs increase the functionality of the system

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and the amount of data that can be processed. Proprietary alignment methods allow each panel to be
swiftly and accurately mounted to within a few microns, across the six axes of movement (tip/tilt/rot/x/
y/z), whilst maintaining pixel-perfect registration with the other SLMs in the system.
The lens-less approach uses special patterns, known as zone plates implemented
on the pixels of the liquid crystal display.
The patented Optalysys design achieves and maintains the high alignment and
focussing tolerances required by using the SLMs and the output light distribution at
the CMOS sensor as references to align and calibrate the whole optical chain.
Under software control, the system self-aligns and can even reconfigure itself according to specific
requirements.
The SLM and sensor components are bonded to a high purity solid glass block
replacing the air gap of conventional optical systems. This stops any local
vibrations and eliminates the possibility of introducing noise into the processing:
no air particulates can now enter and interfere with the optical path.

Liquid Crystal SLMs

SLMs are produced in volume for digital projectors, and are available typically in home TV
resolutions, for example the 4K standard of 4096x2160 pixels, with pixel sizes of the order of 8
microns.
The greater the number of SLM pixels on the display, the higher the resolution and accuracy of the
mathematical process, and the larger the optical processing advantage. Each individually rendered
frame represents one data set to be calculated.
Frame speeds can exceed 1KHz, allowing extremely high rates of input and processing.

3. Key Differentiators Compared to Traditional HPC Systems

Demands for processing power are ever increasing as the size of datasets increase and data
analysis becomes more and more sophisticated and demanding. For example, NASA in their
Computational Fluid Dynamics 2030 Vision report stated Current state-of-the-art computing
systems consume too power much to be scaled up substantially, utilize structural components that
are too large, and do not provide the level of computational and communication speed
necessary1.
Moores Law has proven true over the past four decades, with massive gains in electrical processing
capabilities. Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder, stated that the number of transistors incorporated in a
chip will approximately double every 24 months, with the consequent multiplication of the processing
power.
Compared to Intels first microprocessor, the 4004, introduced in 1971, the latest 22nm CPU runs
over 4,000 times as fast.

NASAs CFD 2030 Vision Report, 1.usa.gov/1CaePCr

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However, this growth in processing performance is eventually limited due to the physical boundaries
of miniaturization, the power requirements and heat production, and the serial nature of electrical
processing performing one process at a time. A point which Moore himself has conceded2.
Optalysys technology overcomes two of these fundamental limitations: it performs processing in
parallel at the speed of light, and offers a dramatic reduction in the power required for computations
by at least an order of magnitude. Less power means less heat: Optalysys model simulation units
can be powered from a standard mains supply costing about 2,100 a year to run. Todays fastest
supercomputer, Tianhe-2 consumes 24MW of power3 costing $21m/year4 to run.
Optalysys product performance is planned with a specification of 9 petaFLOPs (peta = 1015) by 2017.
If available today, this processor would be the fifth fastest supercomputer in the world.
Furthermore, Optalysys technology is designed to fit on a desktop compared to the square metres of
space required in a dedicated server room for a traditional electrical supercomputer.

4.

Technology Achievements To Date

In 2014 Optalysys successfully built a Proof of Concept derivative processor to demonstrate that a
spectral derivative function could be processed using optical technology. This function forms the
basis of spectral Partial Differential Equation solvers such as those used in high-end CFD models.
The system produces two-dimensional derivative functions. Numerical data is represented as greylevel intensities on SLMs and projected through the optical system using a low power laser light. The
results are then converted back into digital form with a camera, typically a CMOS sensor.
As of early 2015, anewdemonstrator devicecan performvisualisation and enhanced knowledge
capture with optical correlation advancing the technology to NASA's Technology Readiness Level
(TRL) 4 - a globally acknowledged standard for measuring technology maturity. This new device
demonstrates that many of the technical challenges have been resolved, and unlike earlier devices is
self-calibrating and muchmore stable.

Techworld, Apr 2010, bit.ly/1AA5bel

Oak Ridge National Lab Visit to the National University for Defense Technology, China, Jun 2013 - bit.ly/
1koCZil
4

South China Morning Post, Jun 2014- bit.ly/1jIgqdK

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5. General Applications: weather, engineering, finance,

medical, life sciences
Optalysys will produce its general processors with a targeted release date of 2017 for pattern
recognition systems and larger optical solver systems. Initially there will be a focus on specific
application areas: weather forecasting, CFD - primarily for high performance automotive
manufacturers, big data analysis in finance, and genome sequencing.
Optical processing offers a major advancement in increasing the level of detail in weather forecasts,
processing more data, faster, without incurring a significant rise in power consumption.
In engineering, projects that produce massive amounts of data such as space exploration and radio
astronomy and others that demand super-fast processing, such as aerodynamics and jet engine
design, are well suited to optical processing.
Similarly, Optalysys technology can increase the speed and massively reduce the cost, to pattern
match DNA gene sequences for disease analysis in plants and animals. The amount of DNA data
held on databases worldwide doubles every 18 months - some databases contain over 150 billion
nucleotide bases - requiring expensive and complex supercomputing power to search and match.
Pattern matching and searching in medical imaging is also a candidate application: in MRI scanners,
Fourier signal processing is already used to create the visual images. Concurrent optical correlation
on those images analyses the whole data being produced, and alerts the operator to matching or
close-matching artefacts that may otherwise be overlooked.

6.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Optalysys is developing revolutionary optical processing technology that has gamechanging potential for the HPC market. We aim to bring multi-exascale Big Data supercomputing to
the world within the next 5 years at a fraction of the cost, time, size and energy consumption of
traditional electrical systems.

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