A challenge for innovative heterogeneous computing approaches is that different carriers may be used for computing/memory/communication. E.g. when computing happen by voltage (electrons) but communication by microwaves (photons), a conversion between the two information carriers is needed. Typically this is referred to as sensor or detector. Also, amplification may be necessary, e.g. to get multiple photons from a single incident photon. In difference to a computing device, interface components do only process one single data input line.
