Breakthrough in Analog Computing: Programmable Electronic Circuits with Light-Speed Processing

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in analog computing, developing a programmable electronic circuit that utilizes high-frequency electromagnetic waves to perform complex parallel processing at light-speed. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize computing, overcoming the limitations of conventional digital electronics while using less energy. The research, published in Nature Communications, was led by Dr. Rasool Keshavarz from the University of Technology Sydney and Associate Professor Mohammad-Ali Miri from Rochester Institute of Technology. The breakthrough paves the way for next-generation analog radio frequency and microwave processors with applications in radar, advanced communications, sensors, and space technologies.

Key Takeaways:

• The new programmable electronic circuit harnesses the properties of high-frequency electromagnetic waves to perform complex parallel processing at light-speed, overcoming the limitations of conventional digital electronics.
• The discovery points to a new era of computing that operates with less energy and performs massive calculations.
• The research was led by Dr. Rasool Keshavarz and Associate Professor Mohammad-Ali Miri, with co-authors Dr. Kevin Zelaya and UTS Associate Professor Negin Shariati, Founding Director of the Radio Frequency and Communication Technologies (RFCT) Lab.
• Ultra-fast analog processors could power next-generation wireless networks, real-time radar and sensing for defense and space, advanced monitoring in mining and agriculture, and new tools for industrial and scientific research.
• The potential applications are wide-ranging, and the study marks the start of a broader research trajectory, with follow-up studies in preparation to expand the technology toward practical system-level architectures.
• The approach is fundamentally different from quantum computing, which faces major challenges in scalability and stability, and is capable of delivering real-world applications much sooner.

Statistics:

• The new circuit can perform complex parallel processing at light-speed.
• The energy efficiency of analog computing is significantly higher than conventional digital electronics.
• The applications of the new technology range from next-generation wireless networks to real-time radar and sensing for defense and space.
• The discovery was published in Nature Communications, a leading scientific journal.
• The research was led by Dr. Rasool Keshavarz, a Senior Research Fellow, Principal System Engineer, and Technical Lead at the RFCT Lab.

Sources:

• Keshavarz, R., Miri, M. A., Zelaya, K., & Shariati, N. (2025). Programmable circuits for analog matrix computations. Nature Communications.
• University of Technology Sydney
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Radio Frequency and Communication Technologies (RFCT) Lab