{
  "id": 3114680,
  "title": "Deuterium enables chip waveguides to generate broadband light from infrared pulses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/deuterium-enables-chip-waveguides-to-generate-broadband-light-from",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-24T21:30:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-deuterium-enables-chip-waveguides-generate.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This breakthrough research, led by Singapore's Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (A*STAR IME), introduces a novel low-loss silicon nitride waveguide on an 8-inch wafer. By substituting hydrogen with deuterium, a heavier isotope, the team eliminated light absorption issues and achieved a fabrication process compatible with CMOS-compatible semiconductor processes. The resulting waveguide, published in Optics Express, generates broadband light on a chip, spanning frequencies from the visible red to deep into the infrared. This supercontinuum light is essential for high-resolution medical imaging, precision measurement, and optical clocks. The team overcame challenges such as the need for compact, energy-efficient, and integrable light sources, as conventional fiber-based systems are bulky and not easily integrated onto chips. By using deuterated silicon nitride, the researchers eliminated the need for high-temperature annealing, making the process compatible with standard semiconductor fabrication lines. The waveguide's performance was demonstrated by pumping 500-femtosecond infrared pulses, which expanded into a spectrum ranging from 587 to 1,883 nanometers—a span of 1.7 octaves. This achievement represents a significant step towards scalable manufacturing and integration of supercontinuum light on a single chip for various applications, including medical imaging, precision metrology, and optical communications.",
  "summary": "A research team from Singapore, led by Associate Professor Dawn Tan of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Dr. Luo Xianshu, head of the Silicon Photonics Department at the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (A*STAR IME), has developed a low-loss silicon nitride waveguide that generates broadband light on a chip. By replacing hydrogen with its heavier isotope, deuterium,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}