Washington University researchers develop modular framework for photonic circuits

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a modular materials framework designed to advance the creation of photonic integrated circuits. Unlike conventional computer chips that rely on electrons, photonic circuits use photons to move data at higher speeds. This development aims to address long-standing challenges in integrating photonic materials into standard chip architectures.

The new manufacturing process, detailed in the journal Nature, provides greater design freedom for multifunctional photonic circuits. This technology has potential applications in artificial intelligence (AI) systems, photonic computing, co-packaged optics (CPO), sensing, and quantum technologies. The research was led by Sang-Hoon Bae and Lan Yang from the McKelvey School of Engineering.