100,000-spin coherent Ising machine

Computers based on physical systems are increasingly anticipated to overcome the impending limitations on digital computer performance. One such computer is a coherent using machine (CIM) for solving combinatorial optimization problems. Here, we report a CIM with 100,512 degenerate optical parametric oscillator pulses working as the Ising spins. We show that the CIM delivers fine solutions to maximum cut problems of 100,000-node graphs drastically faster than standard simulated annealing. Moreover, the CIM, when operated near the phase transition point, provides some extremely good solutions and a very broad distribution. This characteristic will be useful for applications that require fast random sampling such as machine learning.

Automated summary

Computers based on physical systems, such as the coherent Ising machine (CIM), show great potential in solving combinatorial optimization problems quickly and effectively, especially for large-scale graphs, with a broad range of applications in various fields such as machine learning.