A group of PhD students from the Department of Physics, led by Prof. Claudio Conti, will bring to Maker Faire Rome a photonic Ising machine capable of solving the travelling salesman problem, finding the shortest route among multiple destinations. The experiment, developed within the framework of the European projects HeIsingberg and Hyperspim, uses laser light and liquid crystal modulators to simulate possible routes on a spin system and identify the optimal solution in real time.
On this occasion, the experiment will leave the laboratory for the first time to become an interactive science outreach experience: visitors will be able to select the places in Rome they wish to visit and watch the machine calculate the ideal route. This initiative aims to show how research in physics can translate into innovative technologies capable of tackling complex optimization problems quickly and efficiently.