Nanolaser-based emulators of spin Hamiltonians

Finding the solution to a large category of optimization problems, known as the NP-hard class, requires an exponentially increasing solution time using conventional computers. Lately, there has been intense efforts to develop alternative computational methods capable of addressing such tasks. In this regard, spin Hamiltonians, which originally arose in describing exchange interactions in magnetic materials, have recently been pursued as a powerful computational tool. Along these lines, it has been shown that solving NP-hard problems can be effectively mapped into finding the ground state of certain types of classical spin models. Here, we show that arrays of metallic nanolasers provide an ultra-compact, on-chip platform capable of implementing spin models, including the classical Ising and XY Hamiltonians. Various regimes of behavior including ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, as well as geometric frustration are observed in these structures. Our work paves the way towards nanoscale spin-emulators that enable efficient modeling of large-scale complex networks.