Optical Processing Unit

Optical processing units (OPUs) are emerging as a powerful alternative to traditional electronic computing for accelerating deep neural network training and inference, particularly addressing the energy and speed limitations of current hardware. Research focuses on developing hybrid electronic-photonic systems, employing algorithms like direct feedback alignment, and leveraging metamaterials to create lightweight, high-speed models for tasks such as image segmentation and classification. This work aims to overcome computational bottlenecks in AI, potentially leading to more efficient and powerful AI systems for various applications, including remote sensing and edge computing.