The Boolean algebra is the natural theoretical framework for a classical information treatment. The basic logical operations are usually performed using logic gates. In this Letter we demonstrate that NOT, OR and AND gates can be realized exploiting the near-field radiative interaction in N-body systems with phase change materials. With the recent development of a photon thermal transistor and thermal memory, this result paves the way for a full information treatment and smart solutions for active thermal management at nanoscale with photons.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1608.01791,
title = {Towards boolean operations with thermal photons},
author = {Philippe Ben-Abdallah and Svend-Age Biehs},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1608.01791},
year = {2016}
}