'Phononic Computer' Could Process Information with Heat

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A thermal transistor controls heat flow. Heat passes between terminals S and D for the on state and little or no heat passes between S and D for the off state. G is the control terminal. Image credit: Wang and Li.
A thermal transistor controls heat flow. Heat passes between terminals S and D for the “on” state, and little or no heat passes between S and D for the “off” state. G is the control terminal. Image credit: Wang and Li.

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.


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