Molecular Computing:

Molecular computing is a generic term for any computational scheme which uses individual
atoms or molecules as a means of solving computational problems. Molecular computing is most
frequently associated with DNA computing, because that has made the most progress, but it can
also refer to quantum computing or molecular logic gates. All forms of molecular computing are
currently in their infancy, but in the long run are likely to replace traditional silicon computers,
which suffer barriers to higher levels of performance.

For example, how can we determine which programming language has an advantage in
addressing a given computational problem? How can we use programming languages to write
automated theorem provers? How do we validate code as possessing given information-theoretic
properties? A final general category in theoretical computer science is the study of computational
processes occurring in nature, and artificial computational processes inspired by nature. For
example, evolutionary computing, neural networks, molecular computing, and quantum
computing. It attempts to answer questions like: what is going on, computationally, during the
process of evolution and natural selection? Is reality itself fundamentally computational? And so
on.

A single kilogram of carbon contains 5 x 1025 atoms. Imagine if we could use only 100 atoms to
store a single bit or perform a computational operation. Using massive parallelism, a molecular
computing weighing just a kilogram could process more than 1027 operations per second, more
than a billion times faster than today’s best supercomputer, which operates at about 1017
operations per second. With so much greater computational power, we could achieve feats of
calculation and simulation unimaginable to us today.

Different proposals for molecular computers vary in the principles of their operation. In DNA
computing, DNA serves as the software whereas enzymes serve as the hardware. Custom-
synthesized DNA strands are combined with enzymes in a test tube, and depending on the length
of the resulting output strand, a solution can be derived. DNA computation is extremely powerful
in its potential, but suffers from major drawbacks. DNA computation is non-universal, meaning
that there are problems it cannot, even in principle, solve. It can only return yes-or-no answers to
computational problems. In 2002, researchers in Israel created a DNA computer which could
perform 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times faster than the speed of the
fastest PC at the time.

Another proposal for molecular computing is quantum computing. Quantum computing takes
advantage of quantum effects to perform computation, and the details are complicated. Quantum
computing depends upon supercooled atoms locked in entangled states with one another. A
major challenge is that as the number of computational elements (qubits) increases, it becomes
progressively more difficult to insulate the quantum computer from matter on the outside,
causing it to decohere, eliminating quantum effects and restoring the computer to a classical
state. This ruins the calculation. Quantum computing may yet be developed into practical
applications, but many physicists and computer scientists remain skeptical.
Optical Computing:
 Introduction

• With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers
(HPC) has significantly increased.

• Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to
materials limitations.

• Using light, instead of electric power, for performing computations.

• This choice is motivated by several features that light has:

• • It is very fast. Actually the fastest thing that we know, and speed is exactly what we
need for our computers. • It can be easily manipulated (divided, transported, delayed,
split, etc). • It is very well suited for parallelization. Optical computing technology is, in
general, developing in two directions.

• One approach is to build computers that have the same architecture as present day
computers but using optics that is Electro optical hybrids.

• Another approach is to generate a completely new kind of computer, which can perform
all functional operations in optical mode.

 Why we Use Optics for Computing?

• So to make computers faster, their components must be smaller and there by decrease the
distance between them.

• This has resulted in the development of very large scale integration (VLSI) technology

• But they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter but also by the
increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on
microchips.

• One of the theoretical limits on how fast a computer can function is given by Einstein’s
principle that signal cannot propagate faster than speed of light.

• The optical computing comes as a solution of miniaturization problem.

 Features of optical computing

• Optical interconnections and optical integrated circuits have several advantageous over
their electronic counterparts.
• And free from electrical short circuits.

• Optical data processing can perform several operations in parallel much faster and easier
than electrons.

• They are compact, lightweight, and inexpensive to Manufacture

• Computing is that optical data processing can be done much easier and less expensive

• Optics has a higher bandwidth capacity over electronics, which enables more information
to be carried