Abstract: A low-latency, high-bandwidth, hybrid TDM/WDM architecture for connecting processing nodes into a high-performance computing environment designed as a system area network is disclosed. Each node has a receiver for receiving optical communication within a fibre at all wavelength channels supported by the system simultaneously and individually. Each node also has a transmitter for transmitting at at least two wavelengths. One of the wavelengths is a default wavelength for the node. In order to transmit data, a node requests a channel and is provided with a transmit wavelength at which to transmit data. Other nodes receive the data and, when the recipient is the addressee of the data, the data is then forwarded to a computing device connected to the node or in communication therewith. The architecture provides robust communication with high bandwidth.

Abstract: In a Michelson inteferometer with phase conjugate mirrors at least one of such mirrors includes a Kerr medium. This enables control over the relative phases of the beams that are reflected from the mirrors and superimposed to form an output beam. The interferometer can be used to perform a logic function by interposing transparencies in the reflected beams. By appropriate choice of the relative phases a logic OR function can be achieved.

Abstract: A method of optical phase to amplitude demodulation comprises intersecting two mutually coherent beams of light inside a Kerr medium. One of the beams is unmodulated and the other is phase modulated. The Kerr medium is non-linear and is characterized by an equation n=n.sub.0 +n.sub.2 I, where n is the local refractive index of the medium at a point of interest, n.sub.0 is the linear refractive index of the medium, n.sub.2 is a nonlinear refractive index of the medium and I is the light intensity at the point of interests. An amplitude modulated output beam is generated.