'Phononic Computer' Could Process Information with Heat

Via physorg.com -

Most computers today use electrons to carry information, while theoretical optical computers use photons. Recently, physicists from Singapore have proposed a third type of computer: a “phononic computer,” which would use heat, carried by phonons, to perform operations similar to its electronic counterpart.

“Heat is very abundant and very often it is regarded as useless and harmful for information processing,” Professor Baowen Li of the National University of Singapore told PhysOrg.com . “The merit of our paper is that we demonstrate that, in addition to the existing electrons and photons, the phonons can also perform a similar function. This provides an alternative way for information processing. Moreover, the heat can be harnessed to use.”

Li and co-author Lei Wang from the NUS have demonstrated how to make thermal logic gates for possible use in future phononic computers, with their results published in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters.