N-CHANNEL LINEAR CONVERTER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNALS

FIELD: physics.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods of creating devices which perform linear conversion of electromagnetic signals between a large number of channels. Invention can be used as an element of optical computing devices, when implementing separate elements of communication and computer networks serving a large number of subscribers and computing nodes; these elements and networks can be both classical and quantum. In addition, the invention can be used to design devices which perform analysis and synthesis of multimode electromagnetic fields. N-channel linear converter of electromagnetic signals includes N channels formed by N inputs and N outputs of a linear converter and M cascade-connected modules, where M ≥ N + 1, preferably M = 2N, each of which includes N module inputs, N module outputs and two-channel conversion units, providing conversion of signals from module inputs to module outputs and arranged in parallel inside module, and including one static divider comprising two divider inputs and two divider outputs, and one phase shift element located at one of the inputs or at one of the outputs of the static divider; inputs of the first module are inputs of the linear converter, outputs of the module M are outputs of the linear converter; wherein in case of odd N in each layer there is (Nl)/2 conversion units, as well as one free layer channel, which carries out signal from layer input to its corresponding output without conversion and located either before the first transformation unit, if in the adjacent layer it was located after the last conversion unit, or after the last conversion unit, if in the adjacent layer it is located before the first conversion unit; in case of even N, modules are characterized by alternating number of conversion units: module contains either N/2 conversion units if adjacent module contains (N/2)-1 conversion units, or in module contains (N/2)-1 conversion units, if adjacent module contains N/2 conversion units; wherein module containing (N/2)-l conversion units, also includes 2 free channels of module, performing signal transfer from module input to its corresponding output without conversion, one of which connects first input of module with first output of module, and other connects input and output of last module; where static dividers for conversion units are selected arbitrary with power transmission coefficient from 1/2 to 4/5, and phase shift elements are selected to implement a linear transformatio