Aspects relate to a photonic processing system, a photonic processor, and a method of performing matrix-vector multiplication. An optical encoder may encode an input vector into a first plurality of optical signals. A photonic processor may receive the first plurality of optical signals; perform a plurality of operations on the first plurality of optical signals, the plurality of operations implementing a matrix multiplication of the input vector by a matrix; and output a second plurality of optical signals representing an output vector. An optical receiver may detect the second plurality of optical signals and output an electrical digital representation of the output vector.