Not Quantum, Not Classical: This Light-Based Computer Is Something Else Entirely

The new device, described in a recent Naturepaper, is specifically an Ising machine. Based on the physics model of the same name, the processor uses pulses of light instead of binary bits to find the best mathematical solutions to real-life problems, such as protein folding, cryptography, or traffic routing. It’s made of relatively accessible components, operates at room temperature, and can juggle billions of operations per second.