Photonic circuits often lose signal at sharp bends, forcing designers to use large radii. Researchers at Georgia Tech have demonstrated a way to make bends with a radius of just 2.3 µm while keeping loss low.
The method uses topology optimization with a contour constraint that guides the design toward shapes that are less sensitive to fabrication errors. The team says the resulting bends pass commercial foundry design rule checks, meaning they can be made with standard manufacturing processes.
The work is described in a paper in Optics Letters, published in September 2026. This article draws on a single source; no independent verification or contrasting results are included.