LightSolver, a startup based in Tel Aviv, has introduced a groundbreaking technology known as the Laser Processing Unit (LPU), designed to challenge conventional computing systems. This innovative hardware aims to solve complex physics equations rapidly, leveraging the unique properties of laser technology.
Transforming Computational Challenges
The LPU offers a novel approach to high-performance computing by using a grid of lasers that work together, rather than relying on traditional CPUs, GPUs, or quantum computers. This system directly addresses partial differential equations, a critical category of problems in fields such as physics and engineering. By mapping equations like the heat equation and Schrödinger’s equation onto the LPU, LightSolver demonstrates the potential of laser-based computing to sidestep many limitations associated with digital processing.
One of the key advantages of the LPU is its incorporation of embedded optical memory. This design allows laser states to be retained within the resonator, enabling each calculation step to build on the previous one without the need for external data transfer. Consequently, the LPU achieves constant-time iterations measured in nanoseconds, regardless of the complexity of the problem.
Roadmap and Future Prospects
LightSolver has ambitious goals for its technology, with plans to expand the LPU’s capabilities to handle 100,000 variables by 2027 and reach one million variables by 2029. To facilitate research and development, the company is providing early lab access to its Alpha version of the processor along with a digital emulator for scientific experimentation.
Ruti Ben-Shlomi, CEO and co-founder of LightSolver, emphasized the efficiency of their approach: “Classical computers digitize analog nature, and we pay the price in longer run times and wasted energy. By running large-scale physics simulations on a physical machine, we can solve them more efficiently than any HPC or quantum system available today.”
The startup has already begun collaborating with simulation software providers and is engaging with high-performance computing centers and national laboratories. Presentations on the LPU have been made at prominent conferences, including ACM Computing Frontiers 2025, highlighting the growing interest and potential impact of this technology.
As LightSolver continues to develop its Laser Processing Unit, the company is positioned at the forefront of a new wave of computing solutions that could redefine how complex problems are solved across various scientific and engineering disciplines.
