The first blocks that can be used to build a thermal computer

Creating computers of a new type for performing highly specialized tasks is an extremely promising direction. For example, there are already working samples of quantum computers, but few have heard of thermal computers! They use thermal energy to transfer data instead of electrons. Such devices, of course, have less speed, but they have a huge advantage: the ability to work under conditions in which any electronics fails. And recently, experts from the University of Nebraska developed the first samples of thermal diodes, which can remain operational at temperatures up to +326 degrees Celsius.

Behind the development are Professor Sidi Ndao, along with his assistant Mahmoud Elzuk. Miniature thermomechanical memory devices will be able to work, for example, within the framework of space expeditions.

With regard to the structure of the device, in fact, thermal diodes operate on the same principles as their "ordinary counterparts": the ability to control the heat level allows you to create analogues of the logical values ​​0 and 1, which are used to transmit information. In the construction of a thermal diode, the levels of the heat flux are regulated by changing the distance between its fixed and mobile "terminals".

The structure of the thermal diode includes 24 pairs of mobile and fixed "terminals". In addition, the construction contains heaters made of a thin platinum film, with which it is possible to control the temperature of each pair of terminals. Tests of prototypes of thermal diodes have shown that they are capable of operating at temperatures up to 326 degrees Celsius (about 600 degrees Kelvin).

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/computers/sozdany-pervye-bloki-kotorye-mozhno-ispolzovat-pri-postroenii-teplovogo-kompyutera.html.