Optical Computing Breakthrough: University of Tokyo Develops Diffraction Casting

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have unveiled a revolutionary optical computing architecture known as diffraction casting, which promises enhanced power efficiency and speed for high-performance computing tasks, particularly in AI and machine learning, SciTech Daily revealed yesterday.

This innovative method overcomes limitations of traditional electronic computing, such as heat generation and performance constraints.

Diffraction casting builds on earlier concepts like shadow casting but offers greater flexibility and spatial efficiency by utilizing the properties of light waves. The system processes images optically before converting the final output to digital format, resembling layers in image editing software. Lead author Ryosuke Mashiko anticipates that this technology could take about a decade to commercialize, with potential applications extending into quantum computing.