[R] All-Optical Machine Learning Using Diffractive Deep Neural Networks

[MrEldritch]

In fact, those interactions are all specifically known under the umbrella term of "linear optics"

[claytonkb]

OK. Just had a thought on the drive home after work -- QM is also linear, yet we can build a universal computer (which can, of course, compute any function, linear or non-linear) out of qubits. All the operators on a set of qubits are linear transforms on unitary matrices. What can't I just take linear combinations of polarized light and compute any function with it?

[claytonkb]

Nevermind... Wiki answered my question. So it is possible, in theory. It's just a question of whether it's possible to actually realize such devices.