Effective programming of a photonic processor with complex interferometric structure

Reconfigurable photonics have rapidly become an invaluable tool for information processing. Light-based computing accelerators are promising for boosting neural network learning and inference and optical interconnects are foreseen as a solution to the information transfer bottleneck in high-performance computing. In this study, we demonstrate the successful programming of a transformation implemented using a reconfigurable photonic circuit with a non-conventional architecture. The core of most photonic processors is an MZI-based architecture that establishes an analytical connection between the controllable parameters and circuit transformation. However, several architectures that are substantially more difficult to program have improved robustness to fabrication defects. We use two algorithms that rely on different initial datasets to reconstruct the circuit model of a complex interferometer, and then program the required unitary transformation. Both methods performed accurate circuit programming with an average fidelity greater than 99% and 97%, respectively. Our results provide a strong foundation for the introduction of non-conventional interferometric architectures for photonic information processing.