A significant advancement in China’s semiconductor industry has been achieved as an institute linked to Shanghai Jiao Tong University has initiated the production of photonic chips. This development is seen as a boost to China’s quantum computing capabilities, occurring despite tightened US export controls. The Chip Hub for Integrated Photonics Xplore (CHIPX), based in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, is now manufacturing 6-inch thin-film lithium niobate photonic chip wafers. This move highlights China’s goal to mass-produce photonic chips, essential for quantum computing and high-speed optical communication, using homegrown technology. Photonic chips, or photonic integrated circuits, utilize light particles for data processing and transmission, offering applications across data communications, agriculture, autonomous driving, biomedical technology, defense, and aerospace. The project, which began in 2021, launched its manufacturing operations last September and was recently designated as a “key national pilot platform” by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Is China advancing in photonic chip production despite US restrictions?
