Electrical engineering

Physics

Topology (electrical circuits)

Mathematics

Wireless

Analog computer

Signal processing

Statistics

Analog signal

Engineering

Signal-flow graph

Throughput

Power (physics)

Programming language

Sensitivity (control systems)

Electronic engineering

SIGNAL (programming language)

Computer science

Flexibility (engineering)

Quantum mechanics

Digital signal processing

Computer hardware

Analog signal processing

Reliability (semiconductor)

Telecommunications

Nature Communications

Analog signal processors have attracted a tremendous amount of attention recently, as they potentially offer much faster operation and lower power consumption than their digital versions. Yet, they are not preferable for large scale applications due to the considerable observational errors caused by their excessive sensitivity to environmental and structural variations. Here, we demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally the unique relevance of topological insulators for alleviating the unreliability of analog signal processors. In particular, we achieve an important signal processing task, namely resolution of linear differential equations, in an analog system that is protected by topology against large levels of disorder and geometrical perturbations. We believe that our strategy opens up large perspectives for a new generation of robust all-optical analog signal processors, which can now not only perform ultrafast, high-throughput, and power efficient signal processing tasks, but also compete with their digital counterparts in terms of reliability and flexibility.

Topological analog signal processing