The increasing amount of data exchange requires higher-capacity optical communication links. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) is considered as a promising technology to support the higher data throughput. In an MDM system, the mode generator and sorter are the backbone. However, most of the current schemes lack the programmability and universality, which makes the MDM link susceptible to the mode crosstalk and environmental disturbances. In this paper, we propose an intelligent multimode optical communication link using universal mode processing (generation and sorting) chips. The mode processor consists of a programmable 4 × 4 Mach Zehnder interferometer (MZI) network and can be intelligently configured to generate or sort both quasi linearly polarized (LP) modes and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in any desired routing state. We experimentally establish a chip-to-chip MDM communication system. The mode basis can be freely switched between four LP modes and four OAM modes. We also demonstrate the multimode optical communication capability at a data rate of 25 Gbit/s. The proposed scheme shows significant advantages in terms of universality, intelligence, programmability and resistance to mode crosstalk, environmental disturbances, and fabrication errors, demonstrating that the MZI-based reconfigurable mode processor chip has great potential in long-distance chip-to-chip multimode optical communication systems.

随着人工智能技术的高速发展，全球的计算量急剧增长，需要以快速、高效的方式处理海量数据，这对计算硬件的算力和能效提出了较高的要求。受限于电子器件的固有极限和冯·诺依曼架构，传统的电子计算在速度和能效方面遇到了难以突破的瓶颈。光电智能计算充分融合光学的多维复用、大带宽、低能耗等优势和电学的细粒度灵活控制特性，具有光算电控和软硬协同的特点，是一种更实用、更有竞争力的人工智能计算加速方案。回顾了光电智能计算的研究进展，探讨了目前用于光学信号处理和光学神经网络的主流计算架构在线训练算法以及算力、能效提升方面的挑战，并进行了展望。

高性能的光子模拟处理芯片是微波光子处理系统的核心部件, 文章通过优化光波导网络结构, 实现了一种超宽带可重构的光子模拟运算芯片, 通过配置拓扑网络结构实现了多种运算功能的任意切换以及同种功能的运算阶数可调谐。同时, 研究了具有自配置能力的光学矩阵计算芯片, 以及用于图像处理的片上光子卷积加速器。最后, 对微波光子系统与人工智能的交叉融合进行了展望。