Lightmatter: Innovating Computing with Light and AI
Lightmatter, a company founded by three MIT alumni, is revolutionizing computing by incorporating light into data processing and transport. By utilizing both photons and electrons, the company’s products – Envise and Passage – aim to drive more efficient operations, especially in artificial intelligence.
From Idea to $100K
Nicholas Harris PhD ’17, a co-founder of Lightmatter, recognized the limitations of traditional chip technology while working at Micron Technology. He pursued research on photonic quantum computing at MIT under Dr. Dirk Englund, developing silicon-based integrated photonic chips that process information using light.
Seeing the Light
Envise chip combines the advantages of electrons and light, enhancing both memory and deep-learning computations. On the other hand, Passage optimizes data transfer using light, crucial for running extensive server farms supporting cloud computing and AI systems.
Future with Lightmatter
Lightmatter’s technology aims to address rising energy demands in data centers and AI systems without significant power consumption increases. By collaborating with chipmakers and cloud service providers, the company plans to mass deploy its products, making computing more energy-efficient and faster.
The ambitious goal is to revolutionize computing by leveraging light in various aspects, promising significant environmental and economic benefits.