Now, a new research initiative called EPIC is stepping up to the plate, combining electronics and photonics into a single, seamless system, and letting light do the heavy lifting.
A bottleneck
Every time you send a message, stream a video, or run an AI model, data is racing through tiny copper wires inside computers. The problem? These electrical signals generate heat – lots of it.
As systems scale up, the energy lost just moving data is becoming unsustainable. It’s like trying to run a high-speed train network where most of the energy is wasted on friction.
This is where photonics come in. Instead of electrons, photonic systems use light to carry information. Light generates almost no heat and moves huge amounts of data effortlessly. In theory, it’s the perfect solution.
But there’s a catch.
Light alone isn’t enough.
Photonic circuits are incredibly efficient, but also delicate. They struggle with control, precision, and scalability. Think of them as a high-performance sports car with no steering wheel.
To make photonics practical, you need electronics – the very systems we’re trying to improve – to manage and stabilize them.
That’s exactly what Associate Professor Mikkel Heuck and Professor Per Lynggaard aim to solve with their collaboration on the EPIC project.
Bridging two worlds
EPIC is building a completely new kind of chip architecture. Instead of keeping electronics and photonics separate, the project integrates them directly in a 3D structure.
At the heart of this approach is a powerful idea: design electronics and photonics together, not as separate components.
This involves physically bonding traditional electronic silicon chips with advanced optical materials like lithium niobate, a crystal known for its ability to manipulate light at extremely high speeds.
But the real innovation lies in control.
Light-based systems are sensitive. Tiny environmental changes such as temperature shifts and vibrations can throw them off balance.
EPIC tackles this by developing intelligent electronic circuits that act like on-chip “guardians.” These circuits continuously monitor the optical components and automatically adjust them in real time.
In other words, the system tunes itself.
This self-stabilizing capability is essential for making photonic computing reliable outside the lab and ready for real-world applications.
Why you should care
This isn’t just a niche scientific breakthrough; it’s a potential turning point for global technology.
By drastically reducing the energy needed to process and move data, EPIC could:
- Cut the massive power consumption of data centers
- Enable faster and more efficient AI systems
- Support emerging quantum technologies
- Unlock new biomedical imaging and sensing tools
In short, it could make our digital infrastructure both greener and more powerful.
The bigger picture
The EPIC project also represents a shift in how research is done. By bringing together experts from two of our department’s core communities – microelectronics and integrated photonics – it creates a collaborative environment where complex problems can be tackled from multiple angles under one roof.
By pioneering these co-designs and workflows, the project is establishing a highly versatile foundational platform right here in our department. These new capabilities are expected to serve as a collaborative launchpad that can actively involve several other internal research groups in the future, inspiring a new wave of highly interdisciplinary research projects across the department.
From advanced simulations to cleanroom fabrication and experimental testing, the EPIC project spans the full journey from concept to working technology.
And the expected outcome? A fully functional demonstration of a 3D electronic-photonic chip, proof that this hybrid future isn’t just possible, but practical.
We’re standing at the edge of a computing revolution. For decades, progress has been driven by making electronic components smaller and faster. But that approach is reaching its limits.
EPIC offers a different path forward: not just improving electronics but reimagining them entirely by partnering with light.
Because sometimes, the best way to move forward… is to switch on the light.
