A Hybrid Digital/Optical Computer System

A brief review of the principles of optical data processing (ODP) with its high throughput data rate and parallel processing potential is given, followed by a description of a viable on-line electron-beam addressed electrical-to-optical input transducer. A proposed on-line hybrid digital/optical two-dimensional processing system is then described. An output plane optical-to-digital interface and several applications of the system to high bit-rate on-line data processing situations are included.