No chips, no qubits: This computer lets light solve complex calculations

Researchers at Queen’s University have developed a novel type of computer that uses light pulses instead of traditional electronics or quantum bits to solve complex optimization problems. Unlike classical or quantum computers, this light-driven machine leverages an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO)-based Ising model, where pulses of light represent spins that interact and settle into a stable pattern corresponding to an optimal solution. Built from common internet hardware components such as lasers, fiber-optic cables, and modulators, the device operates at room temperature and remains stable for hours, offering a practical and energy-efficient alternative to existing computing methods. The significance of this approach lies in its ability to tackle problems with exponentially growing possibilities—such as protein folding, cryptography, and route optimization—that overwhelm even the fastest supercomputers and quantum machines. By using light’s high speed and the physics of the Ising model, the system can perform billions of operations per second and solve problems involving up to 256 fully connected spins or over 41,000