New programmable photonic chip can control how fast light moves

Skip to main content Your source for the latest research news Follow: Facebook X/Twitter Subscribe: RSS Feeds Newsletter New! Sign up for our free email newsletter. Science News from research organizations New programmable photonic chip can control how fast light moves Scientists have built a programmable chip that can slow light on command, potentially clearing the way for faster and far more efficient optical computers. Date: July 21, 2026 Source: Seoul National University College of Engineering Summary: Scientists have created a programmable optical chip that can slow light on demand, giving engineers far greater control over how optical signals propagate through a circuit. The technology could provide the delays, synchronization, and buffering functions needed to make light-based computing more practical. A single chip could eventually perform several tasks that currently require separate devices, potentially reducing energy use, cost, and complexity in AI servers and data centers. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Conceptual diagram of the programmable CRIT photonic integrated circuit: illustrates how optical pulses experience changes in temporal delay and frequency characteristics as they propagate through the circuit. Credit: Seoul National University College of Engineering Researchers at Seoul National University and the University of Seoul have developed a programmable photonic integrated circuit that can slow light whenever needed. The team was led by Professors Namkyoo Park and Sunkyu Yu of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, working with Professor Xianji Piao of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Seoul. Slowing Light Could Help Solve a Computing Bottleneck The rapid growth of generative AI and large scale AI models has sharply increased the amount of computing power required by data centers and servers. Conventional electronic semiconductors are struggling to keep pace because they consume large amounts of energy and face limits in how quickly they can transmit data. These challenges have intensified interest in optical computing, which uses light rather than electrical signals to process information. Optical systems could potentially move data at extremely high speeds while using less power. However, light also presents a major challenge. Because it naturally moves at a fixed speed, it is difficult to delay optical signals or temporarily hold them in place. Those capabilities are essential for creating buffers and memory functions in optical computers. To address this problem, the researchers designed a programmable photonic circuit that can control both the speed and shape of optical signals. Their approach provides more flexibility over "slow light" than previously proposed methods. The study was published in the renowned international journal Advanced Science. Why Optical Signals Sometimes Need To Wait Photonic integrated circuits are emerging as a promising technology for processing information quickly and efficiently with light. In data centers, optical communication networks, and future computing systems, moving signals rapidly is only part of the challenge. Systems must also ensure that different signals arrive at the correct time. In some cases, a light signal must be delayed so it can remain synchronized with other information moving through the system. One method for creating these delays relies on coupled-resonator-induced transpar