Light-emitting microchips could transform the future of computing and University of Twente (UT) researcher Floris Zwanenburg is helping lead the way. Together with Erik Bakkers (TU/e) and Jonathan Finley (Technical University of Munich), Zwanenburg has secured a €14 million ERC Synergy Grant to turn this ambitious vision into reality with the project “Bright Chips”.
Microchips are essential to modern technology and light-emitting chips are the holy grail of future computing technologies. But for chips to produce light — a feature that would make them faster and more efficient — a fundamental property of the materials used to make our microchips needs to change. “We must change how atoms are arranged relative to each other,” says Zwanenburg. Therefore the researchers will develop light-emitting chips with a new material called silicon germanium (SiGe). SiGe is an alloy that has been shown in recent years to have the right properties to emit light.
Three’s not a crowd
Creating light-emitting chips requires a range of expertise, both from a classical and quantum physics perspective. The “Bright Chips” project brings together specialists in materials, light-based technologies, and electronics. Three university teams, from TU Eindhoven, the Technical University of Munich, and the University of Twente, each play a unique role in making this vision possible. “One team alone can’t complete the full process. The TU Eindhoven team will build the new SiGe material, the Munich team will study its properties, and my team will integrate it into electronic devices and test its performance”, explains Zwanenburg.
Pioneering quantum technologies
The demand for faster, more efficient computing is growing and light-emitting SiGe-spin qubits offer a promising path. But achieving this requires precisely controlled integration and testing to create robust, optically connected quantum systems. The project’s approach is set to pioneer developments in quantum computing, making chips that are not only faster but also scalable and resilient for future applications.
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Prof Dr Floris Zwanenburg is full professor at the University of Twente’s MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology. There he leads research in quantum electronics within the Quantum Electronics research group. The ERC Synergy Grant funds collaborative research that requires combined expertise from multiple principal investigators. These projects aim to tackle complex, groundbreaking scientific problems that no single researcher could address alone. Zwanenburg will work alongside experts from TU Eindhoven and the Technical University of Munich to make optically connected, light-emitting chips a reality. With a budget of up to €14 million, the Synergy Grant enables this team to pioneer new technology in quantum computing and redefine the future of microelectronics.
