Digital associative memory neural network with optical learning capability

A digital associative memory neural network system with optical learning and recalling capabilities is proposed by using liquid crystal television spatial light modulators and an Optic RAM detector. In spite of the drawback of the limited memory capacity compared with optical analogue associative memory neural network, the proposed optical digital neural network has the advantage of all optical learning and recalling capabilities, thus an all optics network system is easily realized. Some experimental results of the learning and the recalling for character recognitions are presented. This new optical architecture offers compactness of the system and the fast learning and recalling properties. Based on the results, the practical system for the implementation of a faster optical digital associative memory neural network system with ferro-electric liquid crystal SLMs is also proposed.