The Photonic Computer uses only light to collect, retrieve and process data. This makes it operate much faster than electronically based computers, because information and processing occurs at the speed of light. Another key benefit of the photonic computer is that less energy is used to power the system and it does not have the same interference problems that make it difficult for current chip manufacturers to make smaller transistors. This is because light energy does not interact with other photons. The processor itself is a laser inscribed piece of crystal made in the laboratory, and the current system uses only a huge amount of RAM to store information.
ALthough this system is complete, it is still very simple and not very useful. The Photonic Computer is also different from a traditional computer in many other ways. First, the hardwired operating system is laser etched into the crystal. This means that the computer itself is not susceptable to computer viruses that effect operating systems. Second, the only way to upgrade the operating system is to get a new processing crystal. The machinery itself to etch the crystals precisely for a modern computer system is also not yet available. This also requires a program that translates the operating system software into the etched crystal that represents it. Daniel Nase invented the first Photonic Computer in June of 1998 while attending the Navy's Nuclear Power Training Command in Orlando, FL as a Nuclear Electronics Technician.
References
http://technology.newscientist.com/...mg19526136.400-speedoflight-computing-comes-a-step-closer.html
IEEE Archives Daniel Nase, Inventor, June 1998
