Novel models of computation from novel physical substrates: a bosonic example

2026-03-25

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge that conventional computational models struggle to harness the full potential of emerging physical devices such as those based on bosonic interference. To bridge this gap, the authors propose a bottom-up approach that tailors computational models and domain-specific languages directly to the intrinsic characteristics of specific hardware platforms. Using multi-component boson interferometers as a concrete example, they develop a novel computational paradigm tightly aligned with the underlying physical mechanisms, thereby transcending the limitations of traditional logic circuits or neuromorphic computing architectures. This study presents the first systematic framework for hardware-aware computational abstraction and programming language design, significantly enhancing both programmability and computational efficiency for unconventional physical substrates.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Hardware-aware ML
• Humans and AI: Other Foundations of Human Computation & AI
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: (Computational) Cognitive Architectures

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Social Networks and Social Media: Computational social science

Abstract

Unconventional physical computing is producing many novel and exotic devices that can potentially be used in a computational mode. Currently, these tend to be used to implement traditional models of computation, such as boolean logic circuits, or neuromorphic approaches. This runs the risk of failing to exploit the devices to their full potential. Here we describe a methodology for deriving a model of computation and domain specific language more closely matched to a given physical device's capabilities, and illustrate it with a case study of bosonic computing as implemented by a physical multi-component interferometer.

Problem

• unconventional computing
• physical substrate
• bosonic computing
• computational model
• domain-specific language

Innovation

• unconventional computing
• bosonic computing
• domain-specific language
• physical substrate
• computational model