Silicon photonics in 2026: overview
Silicon photonics integrates optical functions—light generation, routing, modulation and detection—on silicon chips, often using CMOS-compatible processes. It matters because electrical links face power and reach constraints as compute systems connect accelerators, memory and switches; optical interconnects can carry high bandwidth over distance. The main engineering challenge is integrating reliable lasers and efficient modulators with silicon circuits, then packaging and cooling dense optical engines. Co-packaged optics brings those engines close to processors and switches, but fiber coupling, yield, thermal control and serviceability remain scale-up constraints.
Recent work pushes performance and integration together. In August 2026, Ghent University and IMEC reported a foundry-compatible link carrying 320 Gb/s over 2 km without optical amplification, using a thin-film lithium-niobate modulator and germanium photodetector. In September 2026, a silicon-photonic receiver supported a 400-Gbit/s-per-wavelength link, while Sun Yat Sen University reported III–V membrane photodetectors receiving 240 Gb/s. Industry is moving toward manufacture: STMicroelectronics said in March 2026 that its PIC100 platform had entered 300 mm high-volume production. Thermal monitoring, heterogeneous light sources and packaging remain key integration directions.
- 1Manufacturing moves forward: STMicroelectronics’ PIC100 entry into 300 mm high-volume production in March 2026 signals a shift from platform development toward scaled manufacturing.
- 2Packaging sets the pace: Co-packaged optics brings optical engines close to compute chips, but thermal management, fiber coupling and serviceability remain barriers to deployment.
- 3Heterogeneous integration fills gaps: III–V photodetectors and thin-film lithium-niobate modulators extend silicon’s capabilities, while adding integration and manufacturing complexity.
Top organizations working on silicon photonics
Ranked by Linknovate activity score · last 24 monthsThe activity score adds up the relevance of every patent, publication, grant and news item linking an organization to silicon photonics. Showing 7 of 940 organizations.
| # | Organization | Approach | Signals (24 mo) | Momentum | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
Intel Corporation
Corporate · United States |
Integrated light sources | PAT 4 · PUB 20 NEWS 452 |
-58% | Intel develops silicon-photonics components for optical interconnects, including hybrid lasers. Its work addresses laser reliability for deploying optical links in compute systems. |
| 2 | 
Nvidia
Corporate · United States |
Electro-optic modulation | PUB 9 · NEWS 328 | +11% | Nvidia is associated with a silicon-photonic transmitter design using an eight-lane modulator driver, targeting 58 Gb/s per lane and 0.66 pJ/bit. |
| 3 | 
Zhejiang University
Research · China |
Photodetection | PUB 151 · NEWS 1 | -55% | Zhejiang University develops silicon-photonic receivers and integrated transceivers, including CWDM4 receiver chips and LAN-WDM systems. Its work also includes silicon-waveguide-integrated photodetectors. |
| 4 | 
Chinese Academy of Sciences CAS
Research · China |
Integrated light sources | PUB 101 · NEWS 13 | +0% | The Chinese Academy of Sciences works on hybrid lasers coupled to silicon photonic circuits, as well as silicon-photonic switches and waveguide loss modeling. |
| 5 | 
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Research · China |
Electro-optic modulation | PUB 120 | -29% | The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences researches silicon-photonic optical I/O, including a monolithic DWDM transceiver and a graphene-based transmitter operating beyond 100 Gbps. |
| 6 | 
Globalfoundries
Corporate · Germany |
General | PAT 1 · PUB 17 NEWS 119 |
+4% | Recently, GlobalFoundries partnered with Crealights on 6.4T silicon photonics and has been reported to be scaling its silicon-photonics work with Marvell for data-center interconnects. |
| 7 | 
Ghent University
Research · Belgium |
Integrated light sources | PAT 1 · PUB 83 NEWS 11 |
-30% | Ghent University develops heterogeneous silicon-photonics components, including an InP-on-silicon tunable laser made by micro-transfer printing. Recent work also combines silicon photonics with modulators and high-speed photodetectors. |
| 8 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 9 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 10 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
Startups to watch and leading research centers
Startups to watch 26 total
Ayar Labs Inc.United StatesAyar Labs develops co-packaged optical I/O for AI systems, using silicon photonics to move data between chips and replace electrical interconnects.
Lightmatter Inc.United StatesLightmatter develops photonic computing and optical interconnect technologies for AI systems, applying integrated photonics to data movement and processing.
OpenLight Photonics Inc.United StatesRecently, OpenLight announced plans to showcase its heterogeneous silicon-photonics platform. It develops custom photonic application-specific integrated circuits combining active and passive components on chip.- ··Hidden startupCountryAvailable to registered users, with funding and founding year.
- ··Hidden startupCountryAvailable to registered users, with funding and founding year.
Leading research institutions 712 total
- Zhejiang UniversityChinaZhejiang University develops silicon-photonic receivers and integrated transceivers, including CWDM4 receiver chips and LAN-WDM systems. Its work also includes silicon-waveguide-integrated photodetectors.
- Chinese Academy of Sciences CASChinaThe Chinese Academy of Sciences works on hybrid lasers coupled to silicon photonic circuits, as well as silicon-photonic switches and waveguide loss modeling.
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinaThe University of Chinese Academy of Sciences researches silicon-photonic optical I/O, including a monolithic DWDM transceiver and a graphene-based transmitter operating beyond 100 Gbps.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
Where silicon photonics innovation happens
Share of documents with at least one organization from each country.
Open the interactive map with all 940 organizationsMain technical approaches
Last 24 months| Approach | What it is | Documents | Leading organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive waveguide circuits | Passive waveguide circuits route and filter light with low-loss layouts, but performance depends on fabrication precision and managing crossings, bends and polarization. | 1,160 |
Zhejiang University, Chinese Academy of Sciences CAS, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Electro-optic modulation | Electro-optic modulation encodes electrical data onto light; silicon implementations suit CMOS processes, while speed, drive energy and optical loss trade off. | 647 |
Zhejiang University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ghent University |
| Integrated light sources | Integrated light sources add lasers to photonic chips through hybrid or heterogeneous integration, improving compactness but complicating materials, heat and reliability. | 296 |
PICS, Intel Corporation, Silicon Photonics |
| Photodetection | Photodetection converts guided optical signals to electrical outputs, balancing responsivity and bandwidth against dark current, integration complexity and temperature. | 158 |
Zhejiang University, PICS, Soi |
| Reconfigurable photonic circuits | Reconfigurable photonic circuits use tunable elements to route or process light dynamically, trading flexibility for control overhead, loss and thermal stability. | 296 |
Chinese Academy of Sciences CAS, Pic Co. Sa, 37975 Concordia University |
Emerging trends
Last 12 months vs previous 36 monthsTerms whose frequency in the last 12 months grew the most compared with the previous 36 months.
Funding and investment
Recent funding rounds
The facts record $370.3 million in grants across 160 awards since 2020. Ayar Labs closed a $500 million late-VC round in March 2026 to accelerate co-packaged-optics volume production.
Patent landscape
Top patent holders · last 24 monthsRecent developments
Latest news, duplicates removed- Aug 2026The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and hyperscale data centers is creating unprecedented demand for bandwidth between processors, memory, switches, and storage…3D InCites
- Jul 2026Racing to scale AI requires massive capital investment in data centers, with McKinsey recently estimating that global data center spending could reach $7 trillion by 2030. Perhaps more importantly, though, scaling AI…TechRadar - All the latest technology news
- Jul 2026Dublin, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Global Silicon Photonics and Photonics Integrated Circuits Market 2026-2036" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Silicon Photonics and…GlobeNewswire - Research Analysis And Reports
- Jul 2026Register Hi, https://www.trendforce.com/member/personal logout Member Center | Contact Us CN TW EN SILITH Technology, a silicon photonics fabless company, and United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303)…LEDinside, a leading platform for LED, LED Lighting and LED Market Research - News
- Month 20XXHidden developmentAvailable to registered users with alerts enabled.
Frequently asked questions about silicon photonics
What companies are working on silicon photonics?
Intel Corporation and Nvidia are prominent corporate participants, alongside GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics and TSMC. Intel develops photonic components for optical interconnects, including hybrid lasers; Nvidia is associated with silicon-photonic transmitter designs. STMicroelectronics announced high-volume production of its PIC100 platform in March 2026, while startups such as Ayar Labs develop optical I/O for AI systems.
Which silicon photonics startups are the most promising in 2026?
Ayar Labs, Lightmatter and OpenLight are among the listed startups with clear silicon-photonics products. Ayar Labs develops co-packaged optical I/O for AI systems, while Lightmatter works on photonic computing and optical interconnects. OpenLight develops custom photonic chips that combine active and passive components and announced plans to showcase its heterogeneous silicon-photonics platform.
Who are the main silicon photonics manufacturers or suppliers?
STMicroelectronics, SILITH Technology and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) are tied to recent manufacturing developments. STMicroelectronics said in March 2026 that its PIC100 platform had entered 300 mm high-volume production. In July 2026, SILITH and UMC were reported to have reached a mass-production milestone. These examples point to growing foundry and production capacity for silicon photonics.
Which universities and research centers lead silicon photonics research?
Zhejiang University leads the listed research organizations with 152 documents in the window, followed by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences with 120 and the Chinese Academy of Sciences with 114. Their work spans receivers and photodetectors, optical I/O, hybrid lasers, switches and waveguide loss modeling. Ghent University and IMEC also feature in recent foundry-compatible optical-link research.
How much funding has silicon photonics received?
The facts record $370.3 million in grants across 160 awards since 2020. This is the grant total in the topic data; it is separate from company funding rounds. A recent company example is Ayar Labs, which closed a $500 million late-VC round in March 2026 to accelerate volume production of co-packaged optics.
What were the latest silicon photonics funding rounds?
Ayar Labs Inc. has the clearest recent silicon-photonics-linked round: $500 million in late VC in March 2026. OpenLight Photonics Inc. raised a $34 million Series A in September 2025. The facts also report $370.3 million in grants across 160 awards since 2020, but grants are distinct from startup investment rounds.
Who holds the most silicon photonics patents?
Marvell Asia Pte Ltd leads the listed patent-holder counts with 16, followed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company with 14. Aurora Operations Inc. has 7, and Mitsubishi Electric has 6. Huawei, Hisense Broadband Multimedia Technologies, CiscoTechnology and II IV Delaware each have 5 in the listed counts.
Is silicon photonics patent activity growing?
No: patent activity declined 37.2% in the last-12-month comparison with the preceding 12 months. The 24-month window contains 254 patents. Publication growth also declined, by 9.1% in its stated comparison. These activity measures do not mean development has stopped: recent work includes high-speed optical links, integrated photodetectors and manufacturing-scale platforms.
What are the latest developments in silicon photonics?
Recent results include a 320 Gb/s link over 2 km without optical amplification from Ghent University and IMEC in August 2026, and a 400-Gbit/s-per-wavelength link reported in September 2026. Sun Yat Sen University reported III–V membrane photodetectors receiving 240 Gb/s in September 2026. Other active directions include thermal monitoring for chiplet systems and heterogeneous integration of light sources and modulators.
What are the applications of silicon photonics?
The listed applications include data center interconnects, AI and high-performance computing, telecommunications, sensing and LiDAR, and quantum photonics. Data center interconnects have 1,467 documents in the application data; AI and high-performance computing have 627. The latter shows 1.0% growth in the recent-versus-previous comparison, while recent research also addresses integrated LiDAR and quantum key distribution.