Comment by HarHarVeryFunny

As best I can understand (which is barely, and poorly!), it seems that this new, and interesting, field of optical thermodynamics allows the behavior of non-linear optical systems to be predicted, in this case allowing them to design a "photonic lattice" - some sort of system of waveguides - so that light behaves in a predictable way and can effectively be steered without having to use any active switching components.

What is even less clear than the above is how is this being used.. Presumably it's not just about routing light to some fixed location, but rather allowing it to be switched, so perhaps(?!) the phototic lattice has multiple inputs that interact resulting in light being steered to one of many outputs? Light being used to switch light?

I dunno - it was clear as mud. I'm basically just guessing here.