# Will Photonics Loosen the Bottlenecks in Neural Systems?

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2026-06-08
- Length: 46m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems
- Listen: https://podcast.show/aspencore/episode/153952907/

## Summary

Dr. Patty Stabile of Eindhoven University of Technology explains her all-optical neuromorphic computing architecture using semiconductor optical amplifiers and wavelength division multiplexing to achieve ultra-low latency processing without optical-to-electrical conversion. Hosts Dr. Sonny Baines and Dr. Juliette D’Angelo discuss the scalability, power efficiency, and material challenges of indium phosphide versus silicon photonics, while Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins University critiques the current state of the field and highlights applications in autonomous vehicles and 6G signal processing.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=2) Introduction and Guest Background
- [3:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=180) All-Optical Neural Network Architecture
- [5:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=351) Wavelength Division Multiplexing and Scalability
- [10:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=637) Materials: Indium Phosphide vs. Silicon Photonics
- [15:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=925) Power Consumption and Energy Efficiency
- [19:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=1165) Market Applications: Drones and Autonomous Control
- [26:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=1571) Commentary on Photonic Computing Limitations
- [36:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-08-will-photonics-loosen-the-bottlenecks-in-neural-systems#t=2174) Optical Interconnects and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Eindhoven University of Technology (company)
- Johns Hopkins University (company)
- Czech Technical University (company)
- MIT (company)
- Princeton (company)
- HP Labs (company)
- Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (chip)
- Indium Phosphide (material)
- Silicon Photonics (material)
- Lumai (company)
- Cerebras (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Can Silicon Photonics Solve the Bandwidth Bottleneck in AI Data Centers?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2024-05-21-can-silicon-photonics-solve-the-bandwidth-bottleneck-in-ai-data-centers) (Moore's Lobby)
- [EP 188: The Wild West of Optical, Cisco's AI Hack, and Is Compute an Investable Asset](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-08-17-ep-188-the-wild-west-of-optical-ciscos-ai-hack-and-is-compute-an-investable-asse) (The Circuit)
- [Conversation with Ayar Labs CEO Mark Wade on Silicon Photonics, Co-Packaged Optics, and Next-Gen AI Infrastructure](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-09-21-conversation-with-ayar-labs-ceo-mark-wade-on-silicon-photonics-co-packaged-optic) (The Circuit)
- [From Apple to OpenLight: Silicon Photonics and Integrated Lasers with Dr. Tom Mader](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-04-18-from-apple-to-openlight-silicon-photonics-and-integrated-lasers-with-dr-tom-made) (Moore's Lobby)
- [EP 146: The State of AI Networking with Austin Lyons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons) (The Circuit)

## Citing this page

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