China’s state-run semiconductor research institute says it has achieved a “milestone” in the development of silicon photonics, allowing the country to overcome current technological barriers in chip design and achieve self-sufficiency under US sanctions. He said it could be useful.
The JFS Institute, based in Wuhan, the capital of central Hubei province and a national hub for photonics research, says it has become the first in China to successfully turn on a laser light source integrated with a silicon-based chip. A blog post published by the lab last week.
The achievement means China has filled “one of the few gaps” in optoelectronic technology, state media outlet People’s Daily reported on Friday.
Silicon photonics uses optical signals rather than electrical signals for transmission. The institute says it aims to address constraints imposed by current technology as the transmission of electrical signals between chips approaches physical limits.
Established in 2021 with 8.2 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) of government funding, JFS is one of China’s leading institutions with a mission to pursue technological breakthroughs.
