Researchers, including Artiom Skripka from Oregon State University, have made an exciting discovery that could pave the way for faster and more energy-efficient computing.

The team has found tiny nanocrystals that can quickly switch between light and dark, a breakthrough that could lead to advanced optical computing.

Their findings were published in Nature Photonics.

Optical computing uses light particles to process and store information much faster than traditional electronics.

This new technology could play a key role in reducing the energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, data centers, and other computing applications.

The research focused on a special type of nanomaterial called avalanching nanoparticles. These materials are extremely small, measuring between one-billionth and one-hundred-billionths of a meter. They emit light in a way that increases dramatically when exposed to slightly stronger laser power.

The nanocrystals, made of potassium, chlorine, and lead and infused with neodymium ions, showed remarkable properties. Normally, materials that emit light stay dark when not excited by a laser. But these nanocrystals behaved differently—they could be either bright or dark under the same laser conditions. This unique trait is called intrinsic optical bistability.

Professor Skripka explained, “If the crystals are dark to start with, we need a stronger laser to turn them on, but once they are emitting light, we can keep them bright with lower laser power. It’s like getting a bike moving—you need more effort to start, but less to keep going.”

This ability to switch light on and off abruptly, like flipping a switch, makes the nanocrystals ideal for optical computing. Current electronic systems are slower and consume more energy, especially with the growing demands of AI and data processing. These nanocrystals could make devices faster and more efficient while using less power.

Beyond computing, this discovery could also improve technology used in telecommunications, medical imaging, and environmental monitoring. By integrating photonic materials like these nanocrystals, we could see significant advancements in machine learning, data analysis, and other high-tech fields.

Skripka emphasized the importance of this development: “Our discovery supports efforts to create general-purpose optical computers and shows the power of fundamental research to drive innovation.”

However, there are challenges ahead. Researchers will need to work on scaling up the technology and ensuring it can integrate with existing systems before it can be used in everyday applications.

Still, this discovery marks an exciting step toward a future where computing is faster, smarter, and more energy-efficient—all thanks to the extraordinary properties of tiny nanocrystals.