Towards boolean operations with thermal photons

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the realization of basic Boolean logic gates using near-field radiative interactions in N-body systems with phase change materials, advancing thermal information processing at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to implement NOT, OR, and AND gates with thermal photons, expanding the scope of thermal information processing.

Findings

Boolean gates realized with thermal photons

Potential for thermal information processing systems

Advancement in nanoscale thermal management

Abstract

The Boolean algebra is the natural theoretical framework for a classical information treatment. The basic logical operations are usually performed using logic gates. In this Letter we demonstrate that NOT, OR and AND gates can be realized exploiting the near-field radiative interaction in N-body systems with phase change materials. With the recent development of a photon thermal transistor and thermal memory, this result paves the way for a full information treatment and smart solutions for active thermal management at nanoscale with photons.