Universal Three Dimensional Optical Logic

TL;DR

This paper introduces a universal 3D optical logic gate leveraging nonlinear wave phenomena, promising scalable, reconfigurable, and high-speed optical computing architectures that could surpass traditional electronic systems.

Contribution

It presents a novel 3D optical logic gate based on wave collapse, enabling reconfigurable and hyperconnected optical computing architectures.

Findings

Demonstrates a 3D optical logic gate using nonlinear wave collapse.

Enables scalable and reconfigurable optical computing architectures.

Potential for exponential speedup over conventional electronic platforms.

Abstract

Modern integrated circuits are essentially two-dimensional (2D). Partial three-dimensional (3D) integration and 3D-transistor-level integrated circuits have long been anticipated as routes to improve the performance, cost and size of electronic computing systems. Even as electronics approach fundamental limits however, stubborn challenges in 3D circuits, and innovations in planar technology have delayed the dimensional transition. Optical computing offers potential for new computing approaches, substantially greater performance and would complement technologies in optical interconnects and data storage. Nevertheless, despite some progress, few proposed optical transistors possess essential features required for integration into real computing systems. Here we demonstrate a logic gate based on universal features of nonlinear wave propagation: spatiotemporal instability and collapse. It meets the scaling criteria and enables a 3D, reconfigurable, globally-hyperconnected architecture that may achieve an exponential speed up over conventional platforms. It provides an attractive building block for future optical computers, where its universality should facilitate flexible implementations.