Photonic circuits, which manipulate light to perform various computational tasks, have become essential tools for a range of advanced technologies—from quantum simulations to artificial intelligence. These circuits offer a promising way to process information with minimal energy loss, especially in fields like quantum computing where complex systems are simulated to test theories of quantum mechanics.

However, the growth in circuit size and complexity has historically led to a rise in optical losses, making it challenging to scale these systems for large-scale applications, such as multiphoton quantum experiments or all-optical AI systems.

As reported in Advanced Photonics, researchers at the University of Naples Federico II have now developed a new approach to address this problem. Using a liquid-crystal (LC)-based platform, the team designed an optical processor capable of handling hundreds of optical modes in a compact, two-dimensional setup. This breakthrough offers a solution to a key limitation in traditional photonic circuits, where losses increase as the number of modes grows.