Light is the next electricity. It runs quantum computers, it blows GPU-based neural networks out of the water, and it makes computing parameters like speed, bandwidth, power, etc., perform on scales we do not understand. The way the internet changed society is the way light will change computing.
Scientists compute with light inside hair-thin optical fiber
Jan 2024, phys.org
I'll bet it does
"We can encode a lot of information on a single particle of light. On its spatial structure, on its temporal structure, on its color. And if you can compute with all of those properties at once, that unlocks a massive amount of processing power."
via Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh: Inverse design of high-dimensional quantum optical circuits in a complex medium, Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-02319-6.
Somewhat related image credit: the quantum tornado machine for black hole research - Leonardo Solidoro for University of Nottingham - Mar 2024
Key innovation in photonic components could transform supercomputing technology
Feb 2024, phys.org
Trying to get to the point because I'll bet it's important:
Programmable photonic integrated circuits (PPICs) - The key to the advance has been to apply innovative concepts to the fabrication of the required silicon-based parts. Crucially, the manufacturing process can be used with conventional silicon wafer technology. This makes it compatible with the large-scale production of photonic chips essential to commercial applications.At the heart of the new advance are tiny components that can interconvert optical, electronic, and mechanical changes to perform the variety of communication and mechanical functions needed by an integrated circuit.They reduced the power consumption to femtowatt levels, which is over a million times an improvement compared to the previous state of the art.In a move away from the dependence on temperature changes required by the dominant "thermo-optic" systems currently in use, these new components manipulate a feature of light waves called "phase" and control the coupling between different parallel waveguides, which guide and constrain the light.
via Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology: Dong Uk Kim et al, Programmable photonic arrays based on microelectromechanical elements with femtowatt-level standby power consumption, Nature Photonics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-023-01327-5
Neural networks made of light: Research team develops AI system in optical fibers
Feb 2024, phys.org
NVIDA called, wants deep hype back
"We utilize a single optical fiber to mimic the computational power of numerous neural networks"
via Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien: Bennet Fischer et al, Neuromorphic Computing via Fission‐based Broadband Frequency Generation, Advanced Science (2023). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303835
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| PENTATRAP device for measuring quantum states - MPIK - Apr 2024 |
All-light communication network bridges space, air and sea for seamless connectivity
Feb 2024, phys.org
"The all-light communication could be used in oceans and lakes, for example, where sensors gather ecological data and communicate with surface buoys. The data could then be sent wirelessly over the water surface or across long-distance transmission links between cities. The network can also connect to the internet via a modem, granting people who might be in a remote ocean location, for example, access to the backbone network for information sharing."
- They used blue light for underwater communication because seawater has a reduced absorption window for blue-green light, allowing it to travel farther underwater compared to other wavelengths.
- White LEDs are used to transmit information between objects, such as buoys or ships that are above water.
- For connections with airborne devices such as drones, deep ultraviolet light is used. This provides solar-blind communication, which prevents interference from sunlight.
- Finally, for point-to-point communication in free space, near-infrared laser diodes were applied because they emit directional light with high optical power.
via Nanjing University and Suzhou Lighting Chip Monolithic Optoelectronics Technology Co: Linning Wang et al, All-light communication network for space-air-sea integrated interconnection, Optics Express (2024). DOI: 10.1364/OE.514930
Using sound waves for photonic machine learning: Study lays foundation for reconfigurable neuromorphic building blocks
Apr 2024, phys.org
I don't really understand this but it's important
- reconfigurable neuromorphic building blocks
- photonic machine learning
The researchers use light to create temporary acoustic waves in an optical fiber. The sound waves generated in this way can for instance enable a recurrent functionality in a telecom optical fiber, which is essential to interpreting contextual information such as language.The sound waves have a much longer transmission time than the optical information stream. Therefore, they remain in the optical fiber longer and can be linked to each subsequent processing step in turn.FYI - A traditional fully connected neural network on a computer faces difficulties capturing context because it requires access to memory. In order to overcome this challenge, neural networks have been equipped with recurrent operations that enable internal memory and are capable of capturing contextual information.Optoacoustic REcurrent Operator (OREO) - harnesses the intrinsic properties of an optical waveguide without the need for an artificial reservoir or newly fabricated structures.
via Stiller Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and the Englund Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Steven Becker, Dirk Englund, and Birgit Stiller, An optoacoustic field-programmable perceptron for recurrent neural networks, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47053-6.
Internet can achieve quantum speed with light saved as sound
Apr 2024, phys.org
Same thing as above
A small drum can store data sent with light in its sonic vibrations, and then forward the data with new light sources when needed again.
via University of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute: Mads Bjerregaard Kristensen et al, Long-lived and Efficient Optomechanical Memory for Light, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.100802
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