New Chip Optical Amplifier Boosts Light Intensity 100x

Stanford physicists develop a low-power optical amplifier that can be integrated on a chip.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 9:31pm

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Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new optical amplifier that can increase the intensity of a light signal by about 100 times while using only a fraction of the power typically required for existing amplifiers of similar size. The device, which is the size of a fingertip, achieves this efficiency by recycling the energy of the light beam that powers it, allowing it to operate on low amounts of power without sacrificing bandwidth or adding significant noise.

Why it matters

Optical amplifiers are crucial components in many information technology applications, from telecommunications to biosensing. This new amplifier's combination of high performance, small size, and low power requirements could enable the development of more complex and efficient optical systems that could be integrated into a wide range of devices, including smartphones and laptops.

The details

The new optical amplifier uses a resonant design that recycles the energy of the light beam powering it, allowing it to achieve about 100 times amplification while only requiring a couple hundred milliwatts of power - a fraction of what is typically needed for existing optical amplifiers of similar size. This efficiency, along with the amplifier's small size, means it could potentially be powered by a battery and integrated into portable devices.

  • The research was published in the journal Nature on January 29, 2026.

The players

Amir Safavi-Naeini

The study's senior author and associate professor of physics in Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences.

Devin Dean

Co-first author on the study and a doctoral student in Safavi-Naeini's lab.

Taewon Park

Co-first author on the study and a doctoral student in Safavi-Naeini's lab.

Martin Fejer

Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford.

Hubert Stokowski

Postdoctoral fellow at Stanford.

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What they’re saying

“We've demonstrated, for the first time, a truly versatile, low-power optical amplifier, one that can operate across the optical spectrum and is efficient enough that it can be integrated on a chip.”

— Amir Safavi-Naeini, Associate professor of physics

“By recycling the energy of the pump that powers this amplifier, we made it more efficient, and this doesn't come at a cost to its other properties.”

— Devin Dean, Doctoral student

“When you can do that, then the possibilities are really quite broad because they are so small that you can mass produce them and power them with batteries. They could be used potentially for data communications, biosensing, making new light sources, or a host of different things.”

— Devin Dean, Doctoral student

What’s next

The researchers have filed a patent application covering the methods used to achieve the amplifier's performance, and they are exploring potential commercial applications of the technology.

The takeaway

This new optical amplifier represents a significant advancement in the field, providing a highly efficient, low-power, and compact solution that could enable the development of more sophisticated and versatile optical systems across a range of industries, from telecommunications to biosensing.