Self-configuring silicon photonics systems and applications

Silicon photonics can make complex circuits. We now understand that meshes of interferometers can perform arbitrary linear operations, beyond previous optical approaches. But configuring and stabilizing large meshes could be challenging. Fortunately, a class of architectures can both implement any linear transform and can also be self-configured and self-stabilized, even without any calculations. They can also adapt in real time to changing problems and environments. Applications include adaptive mode multiplexing and demultiplexing, automatic beam coupling, complex linear transforms for classical and quantum processing, and full measurement of amplitude and phase of multimode fields. Architectures, algorithms, and applications will be discussed.