SMRTR Science & EngineeringAug 1, 2026Interesting Engineering

Scientists build four-lane highway for light inside a single photonic chip

SMRTR summary

Chinese researchers have built a photonic chip that uses almost its entire surface to carry light, not just the edges. By engineering a honeycomb lattice of magnetic rods, they created four parallel signal channels where each lane also acts as a barrier for neighboring lanes. The design achieved 100% spatial utilization efficiency, though it currently works at microwave frequencies and must be adapted for optical use.

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