Prof. Andrea Melloni and Prof. Francesco Morichetti, from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano, have been awarded the prestigious Frontiers in Science Award in Information Sciences for their ground-breaking contribution to the field of integrated photonics.

The award, one of the most prestigious at the international level in the field of information science, was given for a 2020 publication in Nature, carried out in collaboration with researchers from Stanford, Ghent, Toronto, Valencia, and MIT. The study introduces the concept of programmable photonic circuits and explores their potential applications in optical signal processing and optical computing.

The official citation highlights the innovative impact of their work: “This work introduces the concept of programmable photonic integrated circuits that can be dynamically configured to perform various functions, representing a significant advancement in optical computing and optical communication technologies.”

The award ceremony took place in July 2025 in Beijing, during the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS), an event sponsored by the city of Beijing and recognized as a global forum for frontier research. The prize was established in 2023 to honour scientific breakthroughs that have led to fundamental shifts in their respective disciplines. 

Photonic integrated circuits are an emerging technology that uses light to process information directly on the surface of a chip. These devices combine essential functions such as light generation, modulation, and detection with more advanced operations, including wavelength filtering.

Although still less complex than their electronic counterparts, photonic chips are rapidly evolving. As their complexity grows, so does the need for greater configurability and programmability, mirroring the evolution that electronics has undergone in recent decades.

At the core of this transformation are networks of on-chip optical waveguides, controlled by tuneable beam couplers and optical phase shifters. These components allow the dynamic routing of light between circuit elements, enabling the chip’s functionality to be programmed via software.

The range of potential applications is broad and interdisciplinary: from linear matrix operations used in artificial intelligence, to quantum communication, and microwave photonics for advanced telecommunications. Thanks to their versatility, these programmable chips can accelerate the development of novel optical technologies by offering a flexible platform for experimentation—without the need to fabricate a custom chip for each new function.