Predictions indicate that a nanometer-sized wave-based computer could solve equations in a fraction of the time of their larger, electronic counterparts. By Sarah Wells B ooting up your laptop may seem like an instantaneous process, but in reality, it's an intricate dance of signals being converted from analog wave forms to digital bytes to photons that deliver information to our retinas. For most computer uses, this conversion time has no impact. But for supercomputers crunching reams of data,

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... it can create a serious, energy-consuming slowdown. Researchers are looking to solve this problem using analog, wave-based computers, which operate solely using light waves and can perform calculations faster and with less energy. Now, Heedong Goh and Andrea Alù from the Advanced Science Research Center at the City University of New York present the design for a nanosized wave-based computer that can solve mathematical problems, such as integro-differential equations, at the speed of light [1] .