A collaborative research team from Seoul National University and the University of Seoul has created a programmable photonic integrated circuit capable of dynamically controlling the speed and shape of light signals. The work addresses a fundamental challenge in optical computing, where light naturally travels at a fixed speed, making it difficult to create the delays and buffering functions necessary for data synchronization in computing systems.
The advancement comes at a time when conventional electronic semiconductors are increasingly unable to meet the demands of rapidly expanding generative AI and large-scale AI models. Data centers and servers require substantial computing power, while traditional semiconductor approaches consume significant energy and face limitations in data transmission rates. Optical computing offers a promising alternative by using light rather than electrical signals to process information, potentially delivering extremely high-speed data movement with reduced power consumption.
The research team employed coupled-resonator-induced transparency (CRIT) technology, a method that uses interference among optical resonators to reduce light speed within a selected frequency range. The key innovation involves treating two optical states—bright mode and dark mode—as a unified degree of freedom and incorporating two controllable loop couplers. This approach allows what were previously fixed optical components to become reconfigurable after manufacturing, a significant departure from traditional photonic devices that have static operating characteristics once fabricated.
Three-dimensional electromagnetic simulations demonstrated that the programmable structure could function reliably under realistic operating conditions, accounting for material losses, manufacturing variations, thermal effects, and other practical factors. The simulations also showed that optical signal delays could be adjusted dynamically during operation without sacrificing processing performance, and that light frequency could be converted without requiring separate specialized components.
If commercialized, the technology could enable a single photonic chip to perform multiple functions—including signal synchronization, adjustable delay, optical buffering, and frequency conversion—operating similarly to software-defined systems that adapt to changing requirements. The researchers plan to advance toward large-scale programmable photonic integrated circuits and anticipate broader applications in autonomous driving, next-generation communications, and quantum technologies.
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