What is NTT Research doing to change the landscape of computing? Quite a bit, actually. We’ve taken a step back and re-imagined how we could solve the world’s largest problems through a new approach to computing. Our challenge, and opportunity, is to bring our team’s recent advances in computing architecture to life. Doing so will help solve major problems we’re facing in everything from the environment, to medicine, to transportation in the years to come. 

To do this, we are building a team of scientists, engineers and nanofabrication experts to think differently and develop the physical platform that will enable these advances to become a reality. Together, we will solve some of the most complex problems our world faces today.    

But how are we thinking differently? We’re changing the game in computing architecture, materials and the manufacturing process.  

First, we’re advancing computing architecture. We are building a coherent Ising machine that uses a network of quantum optical oscillators to perform computations with light. Laser pulses circulate through the network and are selectively combined and processed to perform computations.  The architecture exploits the quantum-to-classical transition of the network to produce reliable solutions to complex combinatorial optimization problems.      

Second, we’re making huge strides in materials development. We’re developing the material platform for our architecture by processing proven nonlinear optical materials in new, unconventional ways to form the substrate for our integrated photonic systems. We have an opportunity to innovate to produce consistent, pristine substrates on which to fabricate large-scale photonic integrated circuits.

Third, we are reinventing the manufacturing process. Our computing architecture requires a large network of small nanophotonic devices made with high fidelity and nanometer-scale precision. Our opportunity is to combine device performance with large scale, all on a fully-integrated photonic platform.  

We are at an exciting moment where breakthroughs in the fabrication of nano-scale systems are ready to be combined with recent developments in the theory of large-scale nonlinear systems. If you are a nanofabrication expert eager to join a team exploring the frontiers of integrated photonic circuits to Upgrade Reality, then let’s talk.