source: sciencedaily ai: new programmable photonic chip can control how fast light moves
level: research
researchers at seoul national university and the university of seoul built a programmable photonic integrated circuit that slows light when needed. the chip uses coupled-resonator-induced transparency, or crit, to delay optical signals. unlike fixed crit devices, this design adds two controllable loop couplers. these let engineers adjust the bright and dark optical modes as one parameter. the result is a circuit that can change its delay, bandwidth, and signal shape after fabrication.
the team showed through simulations that the chip can dynamically tune optical pulse speed without losing performance. they tested the design on a silicon nitride platform, accounting for real-world issues like material losses, backscattering, and thermal crosstalk. the simulations suggest the structure works reliably under practical conditions. the chip can also convert light frequency without extra components. this means one device could handle signal synchronization, buffering, and frequency conversion.
the technology could help data centers and ai servers process information faster while using less energy. combining multiple optical functions on one chip may reduce equipment size and cost. the researchers plan to scale the approach to larger programmable photonic systems. they believe the design principles could apply to many resonator-based circuits, supporting fields like autonomous driving and quantum technologies.
why it matters: this chip could make optical computing more practical by solving the problem of delaying light signals, which is needed for buffering and synchronization in ai hardware.
source: sciencedaily ai: new programmable photonic chip can control how fast light moves