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MIT Develops Photonic Chip Emitting Precise, Controllable Free-Space Light Beams

Researchers designed microscopic 'ski jump' structures on photonic chips enabling scalable and precise emission of laser light into free space, with applications in displays and quantum computing.

AI-ASSISTED REPORTING · RETROSPECTIVE ARCHIVE

Retrospective edition: 2026-03-11. Source published: 2026-03-11. Added to this archive: 2026-11-03. This briefing was prepared later from the linked announcement; it was not published on this website on the historical edition date.

The new photonic devices consist of arrays of tiny upward-curving structures that direct light from optical waveguides off-chip with high precision. This innovation facilitates the projection of full-color images at micro scale, advancing potential uses in augmented reality glasses and compact displays.

Additionally, the platform allows simultaneous control of thousands of laser beams, which can interact with qubits for quantum computing. While demonstrated in lab prototypes, real-world deployment in commercial products will require further engineering for robustness and integration.

Source & further reading

New photonic device efficiently beams light into free space ↗

Source published 2026-03-11. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.