Tackling hard optimization problems with opto-electronic Ising machines
Guy Van der Sande, Toon Sevenants, Jacob Lamers, Leen Mys, Stijn Van Vooren, Guy Verschaffelt · 2025
With the growing demand for efficient computing to tackle complex real-world challenges like combinatorial optimization, both academia and industry are exploring alternative computing paradigms. The Ising machine (IM) is one such approach, solving optimization problems by mapping their cost functions onto the Ising model. In this framework, finding the optimal solution equates to determining the Ising spin configuration corresponding to the ground state of the Ising Hamiltonian. Analog IMs, relying on artificial spins that can take analogue rather than binary values, have shown great potential in reaching this ground at high speeds. Optical implementations, such as the opto-electronic IM developed within our research group, are particularly promising due to their higher bandwidth, energy efficiency, and lower latency compared to electronic IMs. However, scaling remains a challenge for large problems. To overcome this, we propose a novel analog optical IM utilizing a spatial light modulator (SLM). Our design differs from other IMs relying on SLMs by employing analog spin variables instead of binary ones and leveraging gradient descent-based feedback rather than a computer-driven Metropolis–Hastings sampling process. By exploiting the inherent parallelism of light, this SLM-based IM is expected to efficiently handle optimization problems with millions of spins while still maintaining high energy efficiency. At the conference, we will also offer more insight into the performance of these analogue IMs and will delve deeper in the bit resolution required for the different optical components such as the employed SLM. Based on the dynamical evolution of the IM, we will discuss strategies to further improve the problem-solving capacity and speed of these optical IMs.