Analog Iterative Machine (AIM)

2023: Product Announcement

On June 27, 2023, Microsoft announced the development of the world's first analog optical computer. The system, called Analog Iterative Machine (AIM), uses photons and electrons to process data.

The project was implemented by specialists from the research division of Microsoft Research Lab in Cambridge. A group of researchers was faced with the task of creating a new type of computer that would overcome the limitations of traditional systems in solving complex problems. Scientists have designed the first optical computer of its kind with eight variables. The device uses light with different intensities to perform calculations in the same place where the information is stored.

Analog Iterative Machine

The project participants used AIM to solve a complex optimization problem. In the case of a new computer, different light intensities can be used for addition and multiplication operations. It is claimed that, working at the speed of light, the system is capable of surpassing traditional binary computers by about 100 times in performance. Another advantage of the development is that it does not need to divide the computing node and storage into separate components.

When creating AIM, the researchers used elements and blocks available on the commercial market: these are fiber-optic cables, modulators, microvetodiodes, etc. The system is mounted on a metal frame the size of a dining table. The main node of an analog optical computer is the so-called "projector" - a special device that looks like a regular multimedia projector, which is responsible for storing and processing data. To study the capabilities of AIM in solving real problems, the British financial conglomerate Barclays Bank PLC was involved: testing the system will last about a year.^[1]

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