Limitations of opto-electronic neural networks

Neural networks are composed of three components: Neurons, weights, and connections. Limitation on implementing these components in electronics and optics are discussed. We show that using electronically fabricated neurons and a combination of optics and electronics for the weights and connections efficiently utilizes the advantage of each technology. The choice of the technology used to implement the weights and connections depends on the type of neural network being built. © 1989 SPIE.