Stanford researchers develop AI framework to accelerate photonic chip design
A team of engineers at Stanford University has developed a new artificial intelligence framework that dramatically speeds up the design of photonic devices by solving Maxwell’s equations in milliseconds.
The system, called MetaChat, combines self-reflective AI agents with a deep-learning electromagnetic solver to reduce photonic design timelines from weeks or months to just minutes.
Led by Professor Jonathan Fan, the research introduces FiLM WaveY-Net, a neural network capable of simulating electric and magnetic field behaviour more than a thousand times faster than conventional numerical methods.
This breakthrough addresses one of the biggest challenges in photonics and photonic integrated circuits (PICs): the heavy computational cost of modelling nanoscale optical structures such as metasurfaces, waveguides, and metalenses.
MetaChat goes beyond fast simulation by integrating multiple AI agents that act as optics designers and materials specialists. These agents can self-reflect, make design decisions autonomously, and request human input at strategic points, enabling rapid iteration without fixed design templates. In testing, the system designed a metal lens that focuses different wavelengths of light to separate focal points in just 11 minutes, producing a downloadable design comparable to state-of-the-art devices.
The researchers say the framework could significantly ease the shortage of skilled optical designers while accelerating innovation across photonics applications, including optical computing, sensing, imaging, and augmented reality.
While MetaChat is not intended to replace human expertise, it demonstrates how AI-driven design tools can augment engineers’ capabilities and reshape how complex photonic systems are developed.
Looking ahead, the team envisions similar agent-based AI platforms being adapted for other scientific and engineering disciplines, combining high-speed computation with human insight to push the limits of design and discovery.
