Diffractive Layer

Diffractive layers are thin, patterned optical elements designed to manipulate light waves for performing computations directly in the optical domain, offering potential advantages in speed and energy efficiency over electronic computing. Current research focuses on developing diffractive optical networks with architectures like pyramid structures and rotation-based designs, often trained using deep learning algorithms to optimize their performance for specific tasks such as image generation, magnification, classification, and encryption. These advancements are driving progress in all-optical image processing, leading to compact and energy-efficient devices with applications in diverse fields including imaging, telecommunications, and machine vision.