Scientists from Seoul National University and the University of Seoul have created a programmable photonic integrated circuit capable of dynamically controlling the speed of light signals. The development addresses a fundamental challenge in optical computing, where conventional electronic semiconductors struggle to meet the power and data transmission demands of modern AI systems and data centers.
Optical computing, which uses light rather than electrical signals for information processing, offers potential advantages in speed and energy efficiency. However, light naturally travels at a constant speed, making it difficult to delay optical signals or hold them temporarily—capabilities essential for creating buffers and memory functions in optical computers. The research team designed a circuit that provides greater control over these delays than previously available methods.
The breakthrough uses a design principle based on coupled-resonator-induced transparency (CRIT), which manipulates optical signals through interference among resonators. Traditional CRIT devices have fixed characteristics determined at manufacture, requiring complete redesign when different operating parameters are needed. The new approach treats the bright and dark optical modes as a unified degree of freedom and incorporates two controllable loop couplers, allowing the circuit’s behavior to be reconfigured after fabrication.
Numerical simulations demonstrated that the programmable circuit can adjust signal delay times, bandwidth, signal shape, and frequency conversion dynamically while operating. The system maintained reliability when tested against realistic manufacturing challenges including material losses, resonator quality variations, and thermal effects. A single chip could potentially perform multiple functions including signal synchronization, delay adjustment, optical buffering, and frequency conversion.
The researchers plan to develop the technology toward larger-scale programmable photonic systems based on silicon photonics. If commercialized, such chips could reduce energy consumption in data centers while enabling more compact and affordable optical communication and sensor systems. Potential long-term applications span autonomous driving, next-generation communications, and quantum technologies.
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