NTT Research has announced that it is to collaborate with Stanford University on a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative. This is to looks at Coherent Ising Machines (CIMs), devices that constitute a promising approach to solving optimization problems by mapping them to ground state searches. Such devices can help with real-world problems connected to the world of finance, drug discovery, cryptography, machine learning – anything that involves the optimization and analysis of large networks. Ising refers to a model of ferromagnetism in statistical mechanics, enveloped by the German scientist Ernst Ising.
The NSF has granted a $10 million ‘Expeditions in Computing’ award to Stanford’s Department of Applied Physics. The focus of the research will be into the use of CIMs for optimization, machine learning and neuromorphic computing. This relates to systems containing electronic analog circuits to mimic neuro-biological architectures present in the nervous system.
The new project aims for a deeper understanding of the nature and uses of CIMs. The intention is to leverage recent analyses of deep learning neural networks and advances in nanophotonics, optoelectronics and ultrafast laser sources in order to drive scaling and performance improvements.
Specifically, the research aims to develop novel optical and superconducting devices for studying quantum-to-classical crossover physics and critical phenomena in the quantum neural network.
To date TT Research has been involved with: quantum information, neuro-science and photonics; cryptographic and information security; together with medical and health informatics. In terms of co-ordinating the project, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Director of NTT Research’s Physics & Informatics Lab (PHI Lab), will collaborate with the Stanford-led NSF Expeditions CIMs team.
