“Laser Bit” Technology Developed As Qubit Alternative

Israeli start-up LightSolver has developed all-optical laser-based processing unit (LPU) computing technology that it claims could outperform quantum and supercomputers. While inspired by quantum technologies, it uses commercially available colored lasers and is all-optical, requiring no electronics to compute.

In this Q&A, LightSolver CEO and founder Ruti Ben-Shlomi explains how the technology works and what it could do.

Enter Quantum: How is LightSolver’s laser technology work and how it is quantum-inspired without being quantum?

Ruti Ben-Shlomi: LightSolver takes an optimization problem’s conditions and maps them into “obstacles” within the optical path in which the lasers operate. Because of the wave nature of lasers and the proprietary mapping, the laser beams converge into the desired solution, which is then translated into understandable business language.

LightSolver is “quantum-inspired” because it mimics some aspects of quantum computers, such as scanning all possibilities in parallel, due to the highly parallel nature of its laser configuration. It can also overcome barriers mimicking the quantum tunneling effect, due to its deep connectivity and unique laser dynamic. 

In LightSolver, laser bits are utilized instead of qubits, harnessing the power of the classical superposition effect to enable all-to-all coupling. Each variable is represented by a laser bit, which allows for efficient and flexible computation within the system.

Related:Photon Breakthrough Could Deliver Quantum Comms, Sensors

This design allows for full connectivity between all lasers, facilitating pairwise all-to-all spin interactions on a desktop-sized device, operating at room temperature while requiring only a modest amount of energy. 

How is it able to outperform quantum and classical HPC computers?

Today’s businesses require innovative optimization solutions capable of solving complex multivariable challenges, but while quantum and supercomputers were created to tackle such problems, supercomputers seem to have reached their computational limit and quantum computers are not yet scalable or practical. Both options also often require massive investments of time, money, space, power and resources.

Also, with today’s supercomputers, the time-to-solution increases exponentially as the problem size increases. Because of this, certain parameters or variables are not taken into consideration and exact models are often substituted with approximations to expedite computational tasks.  However, this approach compromises the accuracy of the solutions obtained. Quantum computers require extreme conditions and error correction algorithms to mitigate noise and other environmental factors, making their scalability difficult.

What advantages does LPU technology have over current quantum computers?

Since our LPU technology utilizes all-optical coupled lasers that require no electronics to compute, LightSolver can be as small as a traditional desktop computer. LightSolver's size, ability to be built with commercially available components and low power requirements make it much more scalable and easier to bring to a mass market.

In addition, because LightSolver doesn’t require the same extreme conditions quantum does, such as requiring an ultra-high vacuum, specialized components and ultra-cold and complex stabilization systems, the technology is poised to be much more affordable, increasing its scalability.

What verticals or types of use cases would it be suitable for?

Complex, multivariable optimization problems require substantial computational power, and LightSolver is a new computing solution designed to solve these exact types of problems. Use cases range from optimizing financial portfolios and trading to improving supply chain and logistics operations, to drug discovery and many others.