Coherent optical neuron control based on reinforcement learning

Optical neural networks take optical neurons as the cornerstone to achieve complex functions. The coherent optical neuron has become one of the mainstream implementations because it can effectively perform natural and even complex number calculations. However, its state variability and requirement for reliability and effectiveness render traditional control methods no longer applicable. In this Letter, deep reinforcement coherent optical neuron control (DRCON) is proposed, and its effectiveness is experimentally demonstrated. Compared with the standard stochastic gradient descent, the average convergence rate of DRCON is 33% faster, while the effective number of bits increases from less than 2 bits to 5.5 bits. DRCON is a promising first step for large-scale optical neural network control.