Photonic chips process data using light rather than electricity, resulting in quicker communication speeds and increased bandwidth. The majority of that light often remains on the chip, trapped in optical wires, making it difficult to communicate with the outside world efficiently.
If a significant amount of light could be beamed off the chip quickly and precisely, free of the limitations of the wiring, it might pave the way for higher-resolution displays, smaller Lidar systems, more precise 3D printers, and larger-scale quantum computers.
Their chip employs an array of small structures that spiral upward, mimicking little, glowing ski jumps. The researchers have precise control over how light is emitted from thousands of these small devices at once.
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