Modern computing is built on the rigid architecture of silicon and electricity, but a new frontier in photonics suggests a more pliable future. Photonic devices, which transmit information via light rather than electrons, offer the promise of higher speeds and significantly lower energy consumption. However, building these systems often relies on materials that are difficult to manufacture or require intense energy to manipulate.
A research team led by Igor Muševič at the University of Ljubljana is now exploring "squishy" photonics—logic gates made from soft materials like polymers and gels. While these materials are poor conductors of electricity, they are environmentally friendly and easy to produce. The challenge has always been how to switch the light signals within them without relying on electrical currents or high-intensity pulses that could damage the delicate soft matter.
The breakthrough came from an unlikely source: stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, a Nobel Prize-winning technique used to capture high-resolution biological images. Muševič realized that the same principle used to narrow a laser beam for imaging could be adapted to control light with light. By using low-intensity laser pulses to manipulate the path of another beam, the team created an optical switch that functions without altering the physical properties of the material itself.
This development points toward a sustainable shift in hardware design. By moving away from the heat-intensive, rigid constraints of traditional semiconductors, squishy photonics could enable a generation of flexible, low-power devices that are as efficient as they are adaptable.
With reporting from IEEE Spectrum.
Source · IEEE Spectrum
