{"id":27110,"date":"2025-07-11T17:14:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=27110"},"modified":"2025-07-11T17:14:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:14:56","slug":"breakthrough-optical-chip-for-ultra-fast-and-greener-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/breakthrough-optical-chip-for-ultra-fast-and-greener-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Breakthrough Optical Chip for Ultra-Fast and Greener AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Researchers at Laval University have created an optical chip capable of transmitting data at 1,000 gigabits per second with minimal energy consumption, presenting a significant advancement for AI technology.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) at Universit\u00e9 Laval in Quebec have unveiled a breakthrough optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speeds while consuming minimal energy. This innovation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41566-025-01686-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the latest edition of Nature Photonics, could revolutionize artificial intelligence systems known for their significant power demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI systems such as ChatGPT are infamous for their extensive energy consumption. Addressing this issue head-on, the COPL team designed an optical chip, as thin as a strand of hair, that can transmit data at unprecedented speeds with superior energy efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By leveraging the power of light, this chip not only uses the light&#8217;s intensity but also its phase \u2014 essentially the shift within the light signal \u2014 to achieve optimal performance levels, all within an ultra-compact design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We\u2019re jumping from 56 gigabits per second to 1,000 gigabits per second,&#8221; lead author Alireza Geravand,a doctoral student at Laval, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Equivalent of 100 Million Books Transferred in 7 Minutes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Geravand highlights the technology&#8217;s potential to transform AI training processes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt 1,000 gigabits per second, you could transfer an entire training dataset \u2014 the equivalent of over 100 million books \u2014 in under seven minutes. That\u2019s about the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee,\u201d Geravand added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Astonishingly, this feat would only consume 4 joules of energy, comparable to heating one millilitre of water by one degree Celsius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The innovation relies on microring modulators, tiny ring-shaped silicon devices that manipulate light to encode information. The system employs two pairs of rings: one dedicated to intensity and the other to phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today&#8217;s AI data centers rely on tens or even hundreds of thousands of processors working in tandem, mimicking neural communication in the brain. Each processor spans several millimeters, creating vast structures that consume substantial energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You end up with a system that\u2019s kilometers long,&#8221; added Geravand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With their new technology, processors can communicate seamlessly and efficiently, as if they were just meters apart, presenting a significant technological leap as AI demand continues to surge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, companies like NVIDIA have started incorporating microring modulators into their systems, although ones limited to light intensity alone. This new development by COPL could inspire broader industry adoption in the near future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ten years ago, our lab laid the groundwork for this technology. Today, we\u2019re taking it to the next level. Maybe in a few years, the industry will catch up, and this innovation will make its way into the real world,&#8221; Geravand concluded.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pressroom.ulaval.ca\/2025\/07\/11\/a-technological-breakthrough-for-ultra-fast-and-greener-ai-7f739865-dc39-4f63-b71e-7f5be9bd821c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Universit\u00e9 Laval<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) at Universit\u00e9 Laval in Quebec have unveiled a breakthrough optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speeds while consuming minimal energy. This innovation, published in the latest edition of Nature Photonics, could revolutionize artificial intelligence systems known for their significant power [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[68],"class_list":["post-27110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai","tag-laval-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Researchers from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) at Universit\u00e9 Laval in Quebec have unveiled a breakthrough optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speeds while consuming minimal energy. This innovation, published in the latest edition of Nature Photonics, could revolutionize artificial intelligence systems known for their significant power&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27110"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27152,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27110\/revisions\/27152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}