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The Lightwave Research Laboratory is involved with multiple research programs on optical interconnection networks for advanced computing systems, data centers, optical packet-switched routers, and nanophotonic networks-on-chip for chip multiprocessors. We are developing a new class of nanoscale photonic interconnect technologies that seamlessly move data from on-chip networks, across memory and large computing systems with extreme energy efficiency. These future platforms, driven by nanophotonic-enabled interconnectivity, and the enormous bandwidth advantage of dense wavelength division multiplexing, will fundamentally transform the computation-communications architecture, to create systems able to meet explosive information demands at all scales.

With the growing demand for photonics based technologies in data centers and high performance computing applications, the Lightwave Research Laboratory aims to be on the cutting edge of research while creating feasible and deployable solutions to tackle real challenges faced in industry. 

• On-Chip Programmable MZI-Based Fourier Synthesizer for Ultra-Broadband Kerr Comb Equalization

• Reconfiguration-Aware Direct-Connect AI Cluster using Spatial-and-Wavelength-Selective Switching

• Silicon photonic DWDM micro-resonator link initialization under fabrication variation

• Foundry-enabled wafer-scale characterization and modeling of silicon photonic DWDM links

• ACTINA: Adapting Circuit-Switching Techniques for AI Networking Architectures

• Reconfigurable Silicon Photonic Transceiver for Space-Based Communication Nodes

• Silicon Photonic Accelerated Memory Pooling for Efficient Compute Resource Allocation

• Highly uniform thermally undercut silicon photonic devices in a 300 mm CMOS foundry process

• Efficient and Compact Multimode Interior-Ridge Heater for DWDM Systems

• Path Divertibility in a Spatial- and Wavelength-Selective Switching Fabric

• Automated Routing of a Spatial-and-Wavelength Selective Switching Fabric

• Photonic Analog-to-Digital Architecture for Accelerating Multiply-Accumulate Operations

• Dispersion-Engineered Resonator-Based Interleaver Co-Designed with Kerr Comb Source

Professor Bergman Quoted in Scientific American

Prof. Bergman was recently quoted in a Scientific American article discussing the explosive growth of the High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chip industry.

Michael Cullen Profiled by Columbia Engineering

PhD student Michael Cullen was featured in an article by Columbia Engineering, highlighting his work as a CUbiC scholar and development of multi-chip modules. 

Professor Bergman Elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences 

Prof. Bergman was elected to the 2026 class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in recognition of her achievements in engineering and scientific research.

Professor Bergman Interviewed by @HPCpodcast

Prof. Bergman was interviewed for a second time by insideHPS's @HPCpodcast to discuss the newest developments in silicon photonics and co-packaged optics.

Isabel Song Profiled by the Department of Electrical Engineering

PhD student Isabel Song was featured in an article by the Department highlighting her National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship and Wei Family Private Foundation Fellowship.

Lightwave Research Group Summer 2025 Graduates

Our group recently graduated three PhD students. Dr. James Robinson, Dr. Brian Wu, and Dr. Robert Parsons all successfully defended their theses this summer. Additionally, postdoctoral scientist Dr. Yuyang Wang has joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut as an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering. We look forward to seeing the great things they will do next!