US Patent 11378746 Reservoir computing operations using multiple propagations through a multi-mode waveguide

A method for performing an operation on an input signal includes receiving, by a multi-mode waveguide, the input signal imposed on laser light. The received input signal imposed on the laser light is propagated through the waveguide a plurality of times in a plurality of modes, the modes interfering each time they propagate through the waveguide to generate an interference pattern of the plurality of modes. Portions of the interference pattern of the plurality of modes are nonlinearly activated each time those modes propagate through the multi-mode waveguide. Portions of the activated interference pattern of the plurality of modes are output to an optical detector array in parallel with one another each time those modes propagate through the multi-mode waveguide.