China’s photonic chip debut to power AI, 6G and quantum computing push: expert

TFLN wafer line is well-positioned for aggressive push into cloud and supercomputing, AI model training and inference, expert says. — SCMP

As China joins the international drive to mass produce high-performance photonic chips, an industry pioneer said the technical performance of its chips will position the country for major advances in artificial intelligence (AI), 6G and quantum computing.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Chip Hub for Integrated Photonics Xplore (CHIPX) announced on June 5 that it had begun producing 6in (15.2cm) wafers for thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chips, which rely on light – or photons – rather than electrical signals for information transmission and processing.