The evolution of computing has always been tied to a basic idea: building bigger, faster devices. But a recent scientific study proposed a completely different path, by creating a new type of computer that does not depend on electronics or even on the principles of quantum computing, but rather uses light itself to solve the most complex problems.
According to the study published in the scientific journal Nature, researchers from Queen’s University in Canada have developed a computer that works with light, capable of dealing with complex mathematical problems that even the most powerful traditional and quantum computers are unable to solve, due to the huge number of possible possibilities.
The crux of the problem is that some computational challenges computers fail to solve not because they are ambiguous, but because the number of possible solutions is growing at an exponential rate; In areas such as drug discovery, code-breaking, and transportation network planning, the options multiply so quickly that it is almost impossible to examine them all.
“The number of possibilities in a problem with 50 nodes would be greater than the age of the universe if we tried to investigate every possible arrangement,” noted researcher Pavin Shastri, one of the study’s participants, adding that using light creates “physical shortcuts” that make solutions possible quickly and efficiently.
Light replaces electronics
To address this challenge, the researchers turned to a more than a century-old physics model known as the Ising Model, a model used to describe precise magnetic interactions. The problem is a set of “spins” that can go up or down, and the system inherently seeks to reach the lowest possible energy state, which is the optimal solution.
However, the research team replaced traditional magnets with pulses of light. In this computer, each “roll” represents the presence or absence of a pulse of light, and these pulses rotate within a ring made up of ordinary lasers, fiber-optic cables, and signal modulators, which are components already used in current Internet networks.
As the light pulses continue to interact within the system, they begin to influence each other, until they settle into a final stable pattern.
This pattern expresses a good solution to the problem at hand, in a process similar to a group of people quickly exchanging opinions until they reach a collective consensus.
Tremendous speed and unprecedented efficiency
This approach has two main advantages; The first is that light moves very quickly, allowing the system to perform billions of operations per second. The second is that the device operates at room temperature, without the need for supercooling or rare materials, unlike many other advanced computing systems, which makes it more energy efficient and easier to implement in practice.
According to the researchers, the new architecture, based on only five basic components, is capable of solving fully connected problems of up to 256 “turns” equivalent to 65,536 interconnections, and more than 41 thousand “turns” in the case of sparse problems, exceeding the performance of many other more expensive and less stable optical Ising machines.
The study’s authors also pointed out that they “present a programmable optoelectronic ising machine that is stable and operates at room temperature,” stressing that the system maintained its stability for hours on end, which is sufficient time to deal with complex problems that include tens of thousands of variables.
Broad prospects and future applications
The importance of this innovation is not limited to the physical or academic aspect. Optimization issues are at the heart of many vital sectors, from drug discovery and urban planning, to finance, energy and supply chains.
The researchers believe that the existence of a device capable of addressing these problems with high efficiency and without huge energy consumption may radically change the way decisions are made in various industries, although they stress that this computer is not a comprehensive alternative to traditional or quantum computers, as it is a specialized device that excels in optimization issues, not in general computing.
The team is currently working to scale up the system, improve its energy efficiency, and collaborate with industrial partners to test its real-world applications. If this path is successful, light may be the gateway to a new era in the world of computing.
