  Nature-inspired devices and architectures are attracting considerable
attention for various purposes, including the development of novel computing
techniques based on spatiotemporal dynamics, exploiting stochastic processes
for computing, and reducing energy dissipation. This paper demonstrates that
networks of optical energy transfers between quantum nanostructures mediated by
optical near-field interactions occurring at scales far below the wavelength of
light could be utilized for solving a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP),
the satisfiability problem (SAT), and a decision making problem. The optical
energy transfer from smaller quantum dots to larger ones, which is a quantum
stochastic process, depends on the existence of resonant energy levels between
the quantum dots or a state-filling effect occurring at the larger quantum
dots. Such a spatiotemporal mechanism yields different evolutions of energy
transfer patterns in multi-quantum-dot systems. We numerically demonstrate that
networks of optical energy transfers can be used for solution searching and
decision making. We consider that such an approach paves the way to a novel
physical informatics in which both coherent and dissipative processes are
exploited, with low energy consumption.
