Polarization and optical logic.

The design of an optical logic parallel processor is described. The central component is a Fabry-Perot cavity, filled with a nonlinear layer and a linear anisotropic layer, such as a sheet of mica. The two logic states are represented by two orthogonal states of the polarization of the light beam. Polarization logic, compared with on/off logic (bright or dark), requires less power, generates less heat, and is better suited for cascading.