18 Terabit per second photonic digital signal processor for real time video image processing

Abstract

Digital signal processing has become central to many fields, from coherent optical telecommunications where it is used to compensate signal impairments, to video image processing. Image processing in particular is important for observational astronomy, medical diagnosis, autonomous driving, big data and particularly artificial intelligence. Digital signal processing is mainly performed electronically, but new applications, particularly those involving real time video image processing, are creating unprecedented demand for ultrahigh performance, including bandwidth and reduced energy consumption. Here, we demonstrate a photonic digital signal processor operating at 18 Terabits/s and use it to process multiple simultaneous video signals in real-time. The system processes 400,000 video signals concurrently, performing 34 functions simultaneously that are key to object edge detection, edge enhancement and motion blur. As compared with spatial-light devices used for image processing, our system is not only ultra-high speed but highly reconfigurable and programable, able to perform many different functions without any change to the physical hardware. Our approach, based on an integrated Kerr soliton crystal microcomb, opens up new avenues for ultrafast robotic vision and machine learning.