Researchers are proposing a digital twin model for optical computing to create a virtual representation of physical hardware, streamlining development and testing.

Optical computing processes data with light, delivering faster speeds, improved energy efficiency, and greater parallelism than traditional electronic systems.

A current bottleneck in optical computing research is the need to access and calibrate real hardware, which slows progress and inflates trial-and-error costs.

Virtual optical systems can mirror real hardware with high fidelity, enabling more efficient experimentation and rapid iteration across projects.

The digital twin removes bottlenecks from waiting for access to shared optical hardware, letting multiple researchers simulate and tune parameters without using the physical devices.