Patents Assigned to Lightmatter, Inc
  • Publication number: 20240063936
    Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing throughput of a photonic processor by using photonic degrees of freedom (DOF) are provided. The photonic processor includes a multiplexer configured to multiplex, using at least one photonic DOF, multiple encoded optical signals into a multiplexed optical signal. The photonic processor also includes a detector coupled to an output of an optical path including the multiplexer, the detector being configured to generate a first current based on the multiplexed optical signal or a demultiplexed portion of the multiplexed optical signal. The photonic processor further includes a modulator coupled to and output of the detector, the modulator being configured to generate a second current by modulating the first current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius Bunandar, Michael Gould, Nicholas C. Harris, Carl Ramey
  • Patent number: 11899967
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide an aligned storage strategy for stripes within a long vector for a vector processor, such that the extra computation needed to track strides between input stripes and output stripes may be eliminated. As a result, the stripe locations are located in a more predictable memory access pattern such that memory access bandwidth may be improved and the tendency for memory error may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Moore, Gongyu Wang, Bradley Dobbie, Tyler J. Kenney, Ayon Basumallik
  • Publication number: 20240045464
    Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of a photonic computing system comprising one or more processors in communication with disaggregated memory through one or more optical channels. The disaggregated memory comprises multiple memory units placed on a photonic substrate that includes a photonic network that can be programmed to configure which of the memory units can be accessed by each of the processor(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Turner, Darius Bunandar
  • Patent number: 11886942
    Abstract: Techniques for computing matrix operations for arbitrarily large matrices on a finite-sized hybrid analog-digital matrix processor are described. Techniques for gain adjustment in a finite-sized hybrid analog-digital matrix processor are described which enable the system to obtain higher energy efficiencies, greater physical density and improved numerical accuracy. In some embodiments, these techniques enable maximization of the predictive accuracy of a GEMM-based convolutional neural network using low-precision data representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler J. Kenney, Martin B. Z. Forsythe, Tomo Lazovich, Darius Bunandar
  • Patent number: 11860413
    Abstract: Described herein are photonic communication platforms that can overcome the memory bottleneck problem, thereby enabling scaling of memory capacity and bandwidth well beyond what is possible with conventional computing systems. Some embodiments provide photonic communication platforms that involve use of photonic modules. Each photonic module includes programmable photonic circuits for placing the module in optical communication with other modules based on the needs of a particular application. The architecture developed by the inventors relies on the use of common photomask sets (or at least one common photomask) to fabricate multiple photonic modules in a single wafer. Photonic modules in multiple wafers can be linked together into a communication platform using optical or electronic means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Carl Ramey, Michael Gould, Thomas Graham, Darius Bunandar, Ryan Braid, Mykhailo Tymchenko
  • Patent number: 11860666
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing matrix operations using a photonic processor are provided. The photonic processor includes encoders configured to encode a numerical value into an optical signal and optical multiplication devices configured to output an electrical signal proportional to a product of one or more encoded values. The optical multiplication devices include a first input waveguide, a second input waveguide, a coupler circuit coupled to the first input waveguide and the second input waveguide, a first detector and a second detector coupled to the coupler circuit, and a circuit coupled to the first detector and second detector and configured to output a current that is proportional to a product of a first input value and a second input value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius Bunandar, Nicholas C. Harris, Tyler J. Kenney
  • Publication number: 20230408764
    Abstract: Described herein are photonic communication platforms that can overcome the memory bottleneck problem, thereby enabling scaling of memory capacity and bandwidth well beyond what is possible with conventional computing systems. Some embodiments provide photonic communication platforms that involve use of photonic modules. Each photonic module includes programmable photonic circuits for placing the module in optical communication with other modules based on the needs of a particular application. The architecture developed by the inventors relies on the use of common photomask sets (or at least one common photomask) to fabricate multiple photonic modules in a single wafer. Photonic modules in multiple wafers can be linked together into a communication platform using optical or electronic means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: NICHOLAS C. HARRIS, Carl Ramey, Michael Gould, Thomas Graham, Darius Bunandar, Ryan Braid, Mykhailo Tymchenko
  • Publication number: 20230412279
    Abstract: Aspects relate to a photonic processing system, a photonic processor, and a method of performing matrix-vector multiplication. An optical encoder may encode an input vector into a first plurality of optical signals. A photonic processor may receive the first plurality of optical signals; perform a plurality of operations on the first plurality of optical signals, the plurality of operations implementing a matrix multiplication of the input vector by a matrix; and output a second plurality of optical signals representing an output vector. An optical receiver may detect the second plurality of optical signals and output an electrical digital representation of the output vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius Bunandar, Nicholas C. Harris, Carl Ramey
  • Publication number: 20230400632
    Abstract: Described herein are photonic communication platforms that can overcome the memory bottleneck problem, thereby enabling scaling of memory capacity and bandwidth well beyond what is possible with conventional computing systems. Some embodiments provide photonic communication platforms that involve use of photonic modules. Each photonic module includes programmable photonic circuits for placing the module in optical communication with other modules based on the needs of a particular application. The architecture developed by the inventors relies on the use of common photomask sets (or at least one common photomask) to fabricate multiple photonic modules in a single wafer. Photonic modules in multiple wafers can be linked together into a communication platform using optical or electronic means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Carl Ramey, Michael Gould, Thomas Graham, Darius Bunandar, Ryan Braid, Mykhailo Tymchenko
  • Patent number: 11836466
    Abstract: A photonic processor uses light signals and a residue number system (RNS) to perform calculations. The processor sums two or more values by shifting the phase of a light signal with phase shifters and reading out the summed phase with a coherent detector. Because phase winds back every 2? radians, the photonic processor performs addition modulo 2?. A photonic processor may use the summation of phases to perform dot products and correct erroneous residues. A photonic processor may use the RNS in combination with a positional number system (PNS) to extend the numerical range of the photonic processor, which may be used to accelerate homomorphic encryption (HE)-based deep learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Hein, Ayon Basumallik, Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar, Cansu Demirkiran
  • Publication number: 20230388024
    Abstract: Photonic interposers that enable low-power, high-bandwidth inter-chip (e.g., board-level and/or rack-level) as well as intra-chip communication are described. Described herein are techniques, architectures and processes that improve upon the performance of conventional computers. Some embodiments provide photonic interposers that use photonic tiles, where each tile includes programmable photonic circuits that can be programmed based on the needs of a particular computer architecture. Some tiles are instantiations of a common template tile that are stitched together in a 1D or a 2D arrangement. Some embodiments described herein provide a programmable physical network designed to connect pairs of tiles together with photonic links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Mykhailo Tymchenko, Bradford Turcott, Robert Turner, Binoy Shah, Shashank Gupta, James Carr, Ajay Joshi, Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar
  • Publication number: 20230358957
    Abstract: Described herein are photonic communication platforms that can overcome the memory bottleneck problem, thereby enabling scaling of memory capacity and bandwidth well beyond what is possible with conventional computing systems. Some embodiments provide photonic communication platforms that involve use of photonic modules. Each photonic module includes programmable photonic circuits for placing the module in optical communication with other modules based on the needs of a particular application. The architecture developed by the inventors relies on the use of common photomask sets (or at least one common photomask) to fabricate multiple photonic modules in a single wafer. Photonic modules in multiple wafers can be linked together into a communication platform using optical or electronic means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Carl Ramey, Michael Gould, Thomas Graham, Darius Bunandar, Ryan Braid, Mykhailo Tymchenko
  • Publication number: 20230353252
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing signed matrix operations using a linear photonic processor are provided. The linear photonic processor is formed as an array of first amplitude modulators and second amplitude modulators, the first amplitude modulators configured to encode elements of a vector into first optical signals and the second amplitude modulators configured to encode a product between the vector elements and matrix elements into second optical signals. An apparatus may be used to implement a signed value of an output of the linear processor. The linear photonic processor may be configured to perform matrix-vector and/or matrix-matrix operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius Bunandar, Nicholas C. Harris, Michael Gould, Carl Ramey, Tomo Lazovich
  • Publication number: 20230352465
    Abstract: Photonic processors are described herein that are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication by directly encoding a first value in the output of the light source. Some embodiments relate to a photonic device configured to perform a mathematical operation, the photonic device comprising a modulatable light emitting diode (LED) and a modulatable detector. The modulatable LED being configured to emit light. The modulatable detector being optically coupled to an output of the modulatable LED. The photonic device further comprising, a controller being configured to encode a first value in the light emitted by the modulatable LED and to encode a second value in a characteristic of the modulatable detector; and a receiver configured to determine a result of the mathematical operation based on an electrical signal produced by the modulatable detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar
  • Publication number: 20230314711
    Abstract: Photonic interposers that enable low-power, high-bandwidth inter-chip (e.g., board-level and/or rack-level) as well as intra-chip communication are described. Described herein are techniques, architectures and processes that improve upon the performance of conventional computers. Some embodiments provide photonic interposers that use photonic tiles, where each tile includes programmable photonic circuits that can be programmed based on the needs of a particular computer architecture. Some tiles are instantiations of a common template tile that are stitched together in a 1D or a 2D arrangement. Some embodiments described herein provide a programmable physical network designed to connect pairs of tiles together with photonic links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Hamid Eslampour, Shashank Gupta, James Carr
  • Patent number: 11775779
    Abstract: Techniques for computing matrix operations for arbitrarily large matrices on a finite-sized hybrid analog-digital matrix processor are described. Techniques for gain adjustment in a finite-sized hybrid analog-digital matrix processor are described which enable the system to obtain higher energy efficiencies, greater physical density and improved numerical accuracy. In some embodiments, these techniques enable maximization of the predictive accuracy of a GEMM-based convolutional neural network using low-precision data representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler J. Kenney, Martin B. Z. Forsythe, Tomo Lazovich, Darius Bunandar
  • Publication number: 20230308188
    Abstract: Photonic interposers that enable low-power, high-bandwidth inter-chip (e.g., board-level and/or rack-level) as well as intra-chip communication are described. Described herein are techniques, architectures and processes that improve upon the performance of conventional computers. Some embodiments provide photonic interposers that use photonic tiles, where each tile includes programmable photonic circuits that can be programmed based on the needs of a particular computer architecture. Some tiles are instantiations of a common template tile that are stitched together in a 1D or a 2D arrangement. Some embodiments described herein provide a programmable physical network designed to connect pairs of tiles together with photonic links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Dorta-Quinones, Ryan Braid, Anthony Kopa, Michael Gould, Nathaniel Bowman, Karl C. Buckenmaier, Joseph Stadolnik, III, Shashank Gupta, James Carr, Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar
  • Patent number: 11768662
    Abstract: Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar, Michael Gould, Carl Ramey, Shashank Gupta, Carlos Dorta-Quinones
  • Publication number: 20230289142
    Abstract: Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar, Michael Gould, Carl Ramey, Shashank Gupta, Carlos Dorta-Quinones
  • Patent number: D1016057
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Lightmatter, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Harris, Darius Bunandar, Jon Marshall, Natasha Jen, Yemima Lorberbaum, Guy Naor, Stephanie Joanne Hamilton-Jones