# Illinois Researchers Demonstrate Slow-Light Effect on Photonic Chips

- Published: 2026-11-06 23:50 UTC
- Section: Digital & Computing › Quantum technology
- Tags: slow-light effect, photonic chips, quantum storage, spectral hole burning, Illinois research
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-5c99c9afc4aea5c31f22604b_illinois_researchers_demonstrate/

**Physicists at the University of Illinois have achieved the first demonstration of a slow-light effect on photonic chips, enhancing quantum light storage capabilities.**

![Illinois Researchers Demonstrate Slow-Light Effect on Photonic Chips](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/0ed2a8f140eb5f78.jpg)
*iquist.illinois.edu*

Physicists from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have reported the first demonstration of a slow-light effect on photonic chips. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, have significant implications for quantum light storage and manipulation.

Photonic chips utilize optical cavities called resonators to manipulate light, with their performance assessed by a quality factor known as Q. The longer light is retained in a resonator, the higher its Q. Elizabeth Goldschmidt, an associate professor of physics and senior author of the study, emphasized that slowing light down is one of the most efficient methods to store it. This technique allows light to exist within a resonator for an extended period, acting as a form of storage.

The researchers employed a method called spectral hole burning to achieve a slow-light effect, slowing light on-chip by nearly one thousand times. This phenomenon occurs when light propagates through a medium at a significantly reduced velocity. The team used erbium-doped lithium niobate as the medium due to its high density and coherence, which is crucial for quantum memory applications.

Goldschmidt and her team believe that their technique can be applied to various classical and quantum applications that currently depend on bulk optics. They envision potential uses for quantum memory on-chip and the ability to slow down single photons for storage. The study, titled ‘Ultra high-Q tunable microring resonators enabled by slow light,’ is available online.

## Sources

1. [iquist.illinois.edu](https://iquist.illinois.edu/news/79523)
2. [newswise.com](https://www.newswise.com/articles/illinois-researchers-give-quantum-light-a-place-to-wait)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-5c99c9afc4aea5c31f22604b_illinois_researchers_demonstrate/