Light Logic: The Dawn of Photonic Ternary Computing for Universal Basic Compute

The Vision: Computing for All

Imagine a world where computational power is as fundamental a right as education or healthcare. A world where bespoke, hand-crafted computers—built not in massive fabrication plants, but in local workshops—provide free computing resources as part of universal basic income. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the promise of Light Logic computing: a revolutionary synthesis of photonic circuits, ternary mathematics, quantum randomness, and gravity-powered energy storage.

For seventy years, computing has been locked into a binary paradigm—zeros and ones, on and off. But what if that was just a historical accident? What if computers could think in three states instead of two? What if they could process information at the speed of light using photons instead of electrons? And what if they could run on gravity batteries that store renewable energy without the environmental cost of lithium mining?

This is the vision behind Light Logic: a new computing paradigm that’s not just faster or more efficient, but fundamentally different—and radically more sustainable.

The Photonic Revolution: Computing with Light

Why Light Matters

Traditional electronic computers move electrons through silicon transistors. These electrons encounter resistance, generate heat, and hit fundamental physical limits as transistors shrink to atomic scales. Photonic computing sidesteps these limitations entirely by using photons—particles of light—to carry and process information.

The advantages are staggering:

• Femtosecond processing speeds: Where electronic chips operate in nanoseconds (billionths of a second), photonic chips compute in femtoseconds (quadrillionths of a second)—a million times faster
• Zero latency computation: Information processes while traveling, not after stopping and waiting like electronic signals
• Massive parallelism: Different wavelengths of light can carry multiple signals simultaneously through the same optical path without interfering
• Minimal heat generation: Photons don’t generate waste heat like electrons do
• Near-zero energy loss: Light travels through optical materials with virtually no resistance

Recent breakthroughs like the Taichi chip have demonstrated that photonic computing can achieve 1,000x better energy efficiency than Nvidia’s H100 GPUs while handling 14 million parameters—enough to run sophisticated AI models.

For an introduction to photonic computing fundamentals, see this video overview.

Light Logic Gates: Boolean Operations at Light Speed

In electronic computers, logic gates are built from transistors that switch between high and low voltage states. In photonic computing, we implement the same logical operations using light interference and diffraction.

Light Interference Logic: When two light waves meet, they can constructively interfere (amplify each other) or destructively interfere (cancel each other out). By carefully controlling the phase and amplitude of light waves, we can implement AND, OR, NOT, and other logic gates.

For example, a photonic AND gate works like this:

1. Two input light beams enter an optical combiner
2. The beams interfere constructively only when both inputs are “on” (high intensity)
3. A micro-ring resonator filters the output, making a clear distinction between on/off states
4. The result propagates to the next gate at the speed of light

Light Diffraction Logic: When light passes through specially engineered metasurfaces with precise patterns, it diffracts (bends) in controlled ways. By encoding information into light amplitude and directing it through diffraction layers, we can perform complex operations in parallel—with the logic “hardcoded” into the physical structure itself.

The beauty of combining both approaches, as demonstrated by the Taichi chip, is that diffraction handles fixed operations (like encoding data) while interference handles reconfigurable logic—giving us the best of both worlds.

Diagram: Photonic logic gate operation showing wave interference and diffraction patterns. Based on Tsinghua University’s Taichi chip architecture and photonic computing principles from MIT’s integrated photonics research.

Ternary Logic: Three Is the Magic Number

The Binary Accident

Binary computing—based on two states (0 and 1)—wasn’t chosen because it was optimal. It was chosen because early computers used vacuum tubes and relays that had exactly two stable states: on or off. As Soviet engineer Nikolay Brusentsov discovered in the 1950s, this was a historical accident, not an engineering inevitability.

Brusentsov asked: What if computers could think in three states instead of two?

Enter Ternary: -1, 0, +1

In ternary (base-3) logic, each “trit” (ternary digit) can represent three values instead of two. The elegant choice is to use -1, 0, and +1 as the three states. This seemingly small change unlocks profound advantages:

Information Density: Each trit carries more information than a bit. With just 6 trits, you can represent 729 unique values (3^6), while 6 bits only give you 64 values (2^6). To match 6 trits, you’d need 10 bits—a 40% reduction in required digits.

Natural Negative Numbers: In binary, you need a separate “sign bit” to represent negative numbers. In balanced ternary (-1, 0, +1), negative numbers are built into the system. Subtraction is just as natural as addition—no special cases needed.

Simpler Arithmetic: Ternary AND gates have a beautiful property: they return the minimum of their inputs. If inputs are +1 and +1, output is +1. If inputs are +1 and -1, output is -1. This makes circuits simpler and more elegant.

40% Fewer Components: Research shows ternary chips require approximately 30-40% fewer transistors than equivalent binary circuits, translating directly to smaller chips, lower power consumption, and reduced manufacturing costs.

The Soviet Setun: Proof of Concept

In 1958, Brusentsov’s team unveiled the Setun, the world’s first ternary computer. Built with just 2,000 magnetic elements and 100 germanium transistors, it was 10 times cheaper than contemporary binary machines. About 50 units were manufactured and deployed to Soviet research institutions.

The Setun didn’t fail because the technology was flawed—it failed because the world had already standardized on binary. All the infrastructure, all the software, all the manufacturing processes assumed two states. Breaking that lock-in was politically and economically impossible in the Cold War era.

Modern Ternary Revival

Today, with new semiconductor materials like graphene and carbon nanotubes, ternary computing is experiencing a renaissance. These materials can naturally support multi-threshold devices that distinguish between three states with high reliability.

Huawei’s recent 7nm ternary chip demonstrates:

• 40% fewer devices for the same computational power
• 60% less power consumption
• 20% faster operation

The key breakthrough: transistors with two threshold levels instead of one, allowing clear differentiation between three distinct states: -1, 0, and +1.

Diagram: Binary vs ternary logic comparison showing efficiency gains and information density improvements. Based on historical Setun computer design by Nikolay Brusentsov and modern ternary computing research from KAIST and Stanford University.

Further Reading: For a deep dive into ternary computing and the Soviet Setun computer, watch this excellent video explanation.

Quantum Random Numbers: True Uncertainty for Machine Learning

The Problem with Pseudorandom Numbers

Most computers generate “random” numbers using algorithms—deterministic processes that produce sequences that merely appear random. These pseudorandom numbers are perfectly fine for many applications, but they have a fatal flaw: they’re predictable if you know the algorithm and seed value.

For machine learning, this creates subtle problems:

• Reproducibility issues: The same seed produces the same “random” sequence, potentially introducing hidden biases
• Limited entropy: Pseudorandom generators can only produce as much randomness as their internal state allows
• Simulation limitations: When modeling quantum or chaotic systems, algorithmic randomness falls short

True Quantum Randomness

Quantum mechanics provides genuinely unpredictable randomness. When a quantum system is in a superposition state and you measure it, the outcome is fundamentally random—not just unknown to you, but unknowable in principle, even to the universe itself.

Light Logic systems can harness quantum randomness through several mechanisms:

Photon Shot Noise: When measuring low-intensity light, the exact timing and number of photons detected fluctuates due to quantum uncertainty. These fluctuations are truly random.

Beam Splitter Uncertainty: When a single photon hits a 50/50 beam splitter, quantum mechanics says it takes both paths simultaneously until measured. Which path it “chooses” is genuinely random.

Spontaneous Emission: Excited atoms emit photons at random times determined by quantum mechanics, not classical physics.

Python’s random() Function, Quantumly Enhanced

In a Light Logic system, Python’s random.random() function could tap into a hardware quantum random number generator:

# Traditional approach (pseudorandom)
import random
random.seed(42)  # Deterministic sequence
value = random.random()  # Predictable if seed is known

# Light Logic approach (quantum random)
import quantum_random  # Hardware interface to photonic QRNG
value = quantum_random.random()  # Genuinely unpredictable

For machine learning, this provides:

• Better initialization: Neural network weights initialized with true randomness avoid hidden bias patterns
• Stronger regularization: Quantum-randomized dropout provides more robust training
• Improved sampling: Monte Carlo methods and Bayesian inference benefit from true randomness
• Enhanced privacy: Differential privacy mechanisms gain stronger guarantees with quantum noise

The photonic nature of Light Logic systems makes quantum random number generation essentially “free”—it’s a natural byproduct of the optical measurement process, requiring no additional hardware.

Diagram: Quantum random number generation process using photonic shot noise. Based on quantum optics principles and implementations from ID Quantique and Quintessence Labs commercial quantum RNG systems.

Gravity Batteries: Sustainable Power for Sustainable Computing

The Energy Storage Crisis

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are variable—they produce power when nature provides, not necessarily when we need it. This creates a massive energy storage challenge. Traditional lithium-ion batteries have environmental costs: mining rare earth elements, limited lifespan (typically 5-10 years), and toxic disposal issues.

Gravity batteries offer a radically different approach: store energy by lifting heavy objects, then release it by lowering them. It’s ancient technology (think pendulum clocks from 1656), reimagined at massive scale.

How Gravity Batteries Work

The physics is beautifully simple. When you lift a mass against gravity, you store potential energy:

U = mgh

Where:

• U = potential energy
• m = mass (kg)
• g = gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s²)
• h = height (meters)

To store 1 kWh of energy, you need to lift 1,000 kg about 367 meters (or equivalently, lift 10,000 kg about 37 meters).

When energy is needed, the mass descends, turning a generator to produce electricity—essentially “falling” energy.

Large-Scale Implementations

Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity: The most common form. Water is pumped uphill to a reservoir when energy is abundant, then released through turbines when demand is high. The Dinorwig plant in Wales can store 9.1 GWh and deliver 1,728 MW—enough to power a small city.

Efficiency: 80-90% round-trip efficiency Lifespan: 50-100+ years (far longer than chemical batteries) Cost: $0.17/kWh levelized cost of storage

Solid Mass Systems: Companies like Energy Vault and Gravitricity are developing systems that lift concrete blocks or massive weights in abandoned mine shafts:

• Energy Vault: Cranes stack 35-ton concrete blocks in 110-meter towers, storing 25 MW/100 MWh
• Gravitricity: Underground shafts with 500-5,000-tonne weights, generating 10 MWh

Learn more about gravity battery technology in this detailed explanation.

Perfect Pairing with Light Logic Computing

Gravity batteries complement Light Logic systems beautifully:

Predictable Energy Availability: Unlike chemical batteries that degrade over time, gravity batteries provide consistent performance for decades. A Light Logic compute center powered by gravity storage can guarantee energy availability.

Zero Electronic Waste: No lithium, cobalt, or rare earths to mine or dispose of. Just water, concrete, or steel—materials we’ve worked with for centuries.

Local Energy Independence: Communities can build gravity battery systems using local materials and geography, matching the hand-crafted ethos of Light Logic computing.

Load Balancing: Light Logic systems have extremely low idle power consumption (photonic circuits don’t leak current like electronic ones). Gravity batteries can “trickle charge” from solar/wind, then provide burst power for computation when needed.

Diagram: Gravity battery energy storage system showing mechanical energy storage and retrieval. Based on Energy Vault’s gravity-based storage design and pumped hydroelectric storage principles adapted for modular deployment.

Hand-Crafted Computing: The Artisan Approach

Why Hand-Crafted?

The semiconductor industry is dominated by a handful of companies operating multi-billion-dollar fabrication plants. TSMC’s most advanced fabs cost over $20 billion to build. This centralization creates vulnerabilities: supply chain bottlenecks, geopolitical dependencies, and economic barriers to entry.

Light Logic systems enable a different path: hand-crafted, bespoke computers built in local workshops by skilled artisans.

Here’s why this works:

Photonic Components Are Macro-Scale: While electronic transistors are measured in nanometers (requiring extreme UV lithography), many photonic components operate at the scale of light wavelengths (hundreds of nanometers to micrometers). This is large enough to fabricate with less extreme equipment.

Optical Assembly: Lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, and optical fibers can be assembled manually with precision tools—similar to how high-end camera lenses are hand-assembled today.

Ternary Simplicity: With 40% fewer components than binary equivalents, ternary circuits are simpler to design and build, reducing the complexity barrier.

Modular Architecture: Light Logic systems can be built as chiplets—small, specialized modules combined into larger systems. Each chiplet can be crafted, tested, and certified independently.

The Economic Model

Local Fabrication: Communities establish Light Logic workshops—think of them as a blend of hackerspace, optical lab, and computer manufactory. Initial training and equipment costs are subsidized as infrastructure investment.

Craft Certification: Artisans undergo training in photonic assembly, ternary circuit design, and system integration. Certified builders maintain quality standards while preserving local variation and innovation.

Customization: Unlike mass-produced computers optimized for generic tasks, hand-crafted systems can be tailored:

• Research institutions get quantum-random-enhanced ML systems
• Educational settings get pedagogically designed architectures
• Local governments get privacy-optimized computation

Repair and Upgrade Culture: When you can see how your computer works—literally watching light flow through optical paths—repair and modification become feasible. This extends lifespan and reduces e-waste.

Carbon Nanotube Ternary Circuits

Recent research shows that carbon nanotube transistors are ideal for ternary logic because their switching characteristics naturally support multiple threshold levels. At 32nm feature size (achievable with less extreme lithography), CNT-based ternary chips show:

• 45% less area than binary equivalents
• 30% lower energy consumption
• Manufacturable with equipment 1-2 generations behind leading-edge fabs

This means local workshops with 2010s-era lithography tools could fabricate CNT ternary chips—lowering the barrier from $20 billion fabs to $100 million regional facilities.

Universal Basic Compute: A New Social Contract

The Parallel to Universal Basic Income

Just as Universal Basic Income (UBI) proposes that every person deserves a baseline income to meet their needs, Universal Basic Compute (UBC) proposes that every person deserves baseline computational resources.

In the 21st century, computing is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity:

• Education: Online learning, research, skill development
• Economic Participation: Remote work, digital marketplaces, content creation
• Healthcare: Telemedicine, health monitoring, medical records
• Civic Engagement: Voting, advocacy, community organizing
• Social Connection: Communication, social networks, creative expression

When access to computing is mediated by commercial platforms that monetize user data and attention, digital participation comes with hidden costs: surveillance, algorithmic manipulation, and loss of autonomy.

The Light Logic UBC Model

Free Hardware: Every household receives a Light Logic terminal, manufactured in local workshops and powered by community gravity battery systems. These aren’t thin clients—they’re full computers capable of:

• Running machine learning models locally (no cloud dependency)
• Secure communication with quantum-encrypted channels
• Creative work (video editing, music production, 3D modeling)
• Educational software and research tools

Renewable Compute Credits: Like UBI provides monthly income, UBC provides monthly “compute credits”—guaranteed access to computing resources:

• Local computation on your terminal (unlimited)
• Shared community compute cluster (proportional allocation)
• Specialized resources (HPC, quantum simulation) by request

Privacy by Default: Because Light Logic systems process data locally and don’t require constant internet connectivity, user activity isn’t automatically surveilled. Photonic chips don’t inherently leak data the way cloud services do.

Open Architecture: The designs for Light Logic systems are open source. Anyone can learn how they work, modify them, and contribute improvements. This prevents vendor lock-in and empowers users.

Funding the Infrastructure

Energy Independence: Gravity batteries paired with local renewables mean communities aren’t paying for electricity from external grids. The marginal cost of computation drops to near zero.

Public Infrastructure Investment: Like roads, water systems, and electrical grids, UBC infrastructure is funded as a public good. Initial capital costs are high, but operational costs are minimal due to:

• Gravity battery longevity (50+ years)
• Photonic chip durability (no electronic degradation)
• Local fabrication (no shipping or markup)

Economic Multiplier: Providing free computing enables:

• Entrepreneurship: Anyone can start a digital business without upfront tech costs
• Education: Equal access to learning resources reduces inequality
• Innovation: More minds contributing to open-source projects
• Civic Participation: Informed citizens engaging with data-driven policy

Studies of UBI suggest every dollar invested returns $2-3 in economic activity. UBC has similar multiplier potential—perhaps even higher, given computing’s role in modern productivity.

Challenges and Considerations

Scaling Production: Building enough Light Logic systems for every household requires massive coordination. Initial rollout would target:

• Educational institutions (proof of concept)
• Underserved communities (highest impact)
• Research institutions (advanced users who can provide feedback)

Skill Development: Operating and maintaining photonic ternary systems requires new expertise. This creates jobs (training, fabrication, support) but also demands educational investment.

Software Ecosystem: Most software assumes binary architecture and commercial cloud services. Porting to ternary photonic systems requires:

• New compilers and operating systems
• Rewriting key libraries
• Developer education

This is a decades-long transition, not a switch-flip change.

Cultural Shift: UBC challenges the narrative that computational resources must be commercially mediated. Overcoming resistance from tech incumbents requires political will and public support.

The Road Ahead: Building the Future

Near-Term Milestones (2025-2030)

Photonic Ternary Proof-of-Concept: Universities and national labs build experimental Light Logic systems demonstrating:

• Ternary photonic logic gates
• Quantum RNG integration
• Gravity battery power delivery
• Basic ML workloads

Carbon Nanotube Fabrication: Regional fabs (not requiring leading-edge equipment) begin producing CNT-based ternary chips at 32nm, proving manufacturability outside TSMC/Intel monopoly.

Community Pilot Programs: Select communities receive prototype Light Logic terminals, providing real-world usage data and refinement feedback.

Medium-Term Goals (2030-2040)

Artisan Workshop Network: 100+ certified Light Logic fabrication workshops operating worldwide, each producing 1,000-10,000 units annually.

Open Source Ecosystem: Robust software stack including:

• Ternary-native operating system
• ML frameworks optimized for photonic hardware
• Development tools and languages
• Educational curricula

Gravity Battery Infrastructure: Co-located gravity storage at fabrication facilities and compute centers, demonstrating energy independence.

Policy Framework: Governments begin recognizing computational access as a human right, funding UBC infrastructure similarly to libraries or public schools.

Long-Term Vision (2040+)

Universal Deployment: Every household has access to Light Logic computing, either through owned terminals or community access points.

Global Knowledge Commons: Decentralized, locally-powered computing infrastructure enables:

• Privacy-preserving social networks
• Distributed scientific research
• Democratized AI development
• Cultural preservation and creation

Sustainable Computing: As electronic e-waste crisis deepens, Light Logic demonstrates an alternative path: durable, repairable, locally-sourced computing that works with physics rather than fighting it.

Conclusion: A Different Kind of Computer

Light Logic computing is more than a technical innovation—it’s a philosophical stance about what computers should be and who they should serve.

Instead of faster, it prioritizes sustainable. Instead of centralized, it champions local. Instead of proprietary, it insists on open. Instead of extractive, it embraces regenerative.

By combining the speed of photons, the elegance of ternary mathematics, the unpredictability of quantum mechanics, and the sustainability of gravity energy, Light Logic demonstrates that another computing paradigm is possible.

The binary, electronic, cloud-dependent model isn’t the only way—or even the best way. It’s just the way we happened to choose in the 1940s when vacuum tubes and wartime urgency drove design decisions.

Today, with climate crisis demanding sustainable technology, inequality demanding democratized access, and surveillance capitalism demanding alternatives, we have the opportunity—and the obligation—to choose differently.

Light Logic isn’t just about building better computers. It’s about building a better relationship between humanity and technology itself.

The light is ready. The mathematics is ready. The energy is ready.

Are we ready to build the future, one hand-crafted photonic circuit at a time?

Interested in contributing to Light Logic development? Divinci AI is collaborating with research institutions and community workshops to prototype these systems. Contact us to learn more about getting involved.