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.

In an optical position measuring device for detecting the relative position of a first measuring standard and a second measuring standard, movable relative to each other along at least one measuring direction, at a splitting grating, a beam bundle emitted by a light source is split up into at least two partial beam bundles. When passing through scanning beam paths, the partial beam bundles undergo different polarization-optical effects. After the differently polarized partial beam bundles are recombined at a combination grating, a plurality of phase-displaced, displacement-dependent scanning signals is able to be generated from the resulting beam bundle. No polarization-optical components are arranged in the scanning beam paths of the partial beam bundles between the splitting and recombination. To generate the different polarization-optical effects on the partial beam bundles, a conically incident illumination beam bundle impinges upon the splitting grating, the incident illumination beam bundle extending in a plane perpendicular to the measuring direction at an angle other than 0°, the plane of incidence being defined by the grating normal to the splitting grating and the direction of incidence of the illumination beam bundle. The scanning beam paths of the partial beam bundles are arranged in mirror symmetry with respect to the plane of incidence between the splitting and recombination.

An optical sensor, an optical encoder, a torque detection apparatus, and an electric power steering apparatus less affected by fluctuations in the amount of detected light and with an improved resolution are provided. The optical sensor includes a first polarizing layer that splits incident light to light with a first polarization direction, a first photoreceiver that receives first polarized light split by the first polarizing layer, a second polarizing layer that splits the incident light to light with a second polarization direction, and a second photoreceiver that receives second polarized light split by the second polarizing layer. The first photoreceiver and the second photoreceiver are positioned alternatingly and spaced uniformly with each other.

An encoder includes an optical scale that is so provided as to be pivotable around a pivotal axis and includes a polarizing portion having a polarization characteristic, a light outputting portion that outputs linearly polarized light toward the polarizing portion, and a light detecting portion that detects the linearly polarized light from the optical scale. The light outputting portion includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, and light emitted from the vertical cavity surface emitting laser spreads at an angle greater than or equal to 5° but smaller than or equal to 20°.

A sensor including: a generating unit; a detecting unit that detects the object to be detected generated by the generating unit; and a substrate at which the generating unit and the detecting unit are provided. The substrate is a flexible substrate that includes a first portion provided with the generating unit and a second portion provided with the detecting unit, the first portion and the second portion being integrated, and that takes a curved shape or a bent shape in which a surface of the first portion at which the generating unit is provided and a surface of the second portion at which the detecting unit is provided face each other. A plate support member is attached to a back-side surface of at least one of the surface of the first portion and the surface of the second portion.

The invention pertains to a contactless measurement method for detecting rotation of an object over an axis coinciding with an optical axis of a probe beam. The probe beam is comprised of two monochromatic wavelengths with circular polarizations of opposite chirality, having a frequency difference for providing a heterodyne probe beam. A neutral beam splitter is provided that directs a reflected beam via a polarizer filter towards a first photodetector and that directs a transmitted beam toward a quarter wave plate attached to a rotatable object. A mirror reflects the probe beam, via the same quarter wave plate, back into the neutral beam splitter, which directs the reflected beam via a polarizer filter toward a second photodetector. The rotation is derived from the relative phase difference between the first and second photodetector signals.

There are provided techniques for characterizing and testing a cable routing connection configuration connection arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fiber links connected between at least a first connection device at a first end and a second multi-fiber connection device at a second end. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding optical fiber ports of the first connection device. At least one image of the second multi-fiber connection device is captured. Test light exiting the optical fiber link(s) through optical fiber port(s) of the second multi-fiber connection device is imaged as light spot(s) in the captured image. Positions on the second multi-fiber connection device that corresponds to the optical fiber port(s) are determined based on a pattern of the light spot(s) in the captured image. In some implementations, the provided techniques allow detection or verification of cable routing connection configurations at multi-fiber distribution panels.

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.

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.

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.