Lumotive unveils programmable 2D photonic chip
Breakthrough metasurface technology enables software-defined control of light for AI data centres and optical networking.
Lumotive has announced the successful demonstration of what it describes as the world’s first programmable two-dimensional photonic beamforming semiconductor chip, based on its Light Control Metasurface (LCM) architecture.
The breakthrough enables electronic control of light across two dimensions on a single chip, a capability long pursued in optical science.
The technology dynamically forms and steers beams of light without moving parts, using nanoscale optical elements integrated into a semiconductor platform.
According to Lumotive, the innovation introduces software-defined control to photonic systems, allowing optical behaviour to be programmed directly at the semiconductor level.
This approach could enable more flexible and scalable optical architectures for applications such as optical circuit switching in AI data centres, photonic communications, optical computing and advanced 3D sensing.
The development also comes as data centre operators seek new ways to manage growing bandwidth and power demands. Optical circuit switching is increasingly being explored as a way to enable more efficient connectivity in hyperscale AI clusters.
The company says the programmable metasurface technology could enable a new class of photonic semiconductors capable of supporting high-port-count optical switching architectures required for next-generation AI infrastructure.
Industry observers note that the use of CMOS-compatible materials and fabrication methods could provide a viable path toward scalable and manufacturable programmable photonic systems.
