An optical chip is a semiconductor device designed to manipulate light (photons) to perform various functions, analogous to how electronic chips process electrical signals (electrons). These chips utilize optical components such as waveguides, modulators, detectors, and lasers to generate, transmit, and detect light signals. Optical chips are essential in applications such as telecommunications, data processing, and sensing, as they can support high-speed data transmission over long distances with reduced energy consumption compared to electronic chips. Their development is significant for advancing technologies like photonic circuits, which aim to integrate optical functions on a single chip, enhancing performance and efficiency in various fields including computing, communication, and imaging technologies.
A groundbreaking technological achievement has been made in Beijing, with the introduction of a revolutionary optical chip embedded with artificial intelligence that surpasses the energy efficiency of the NVIDIA H100…