Lightwave Logic announced a development agreement with Tower Semiconductor to embed its electro‑optic polymer modulators into Tower’s PH18 silicon photonics platform. The partnership targets a 110 GHz bandwidth and 400 Gb/s per‑lane performance, positioning the technology for data‑center interconnects and AI infrastructure.
The agreement gives customers the opportunity to participate in 2026 engineering tape‑out runs on the PH18 platform, allowing Lightwave to secure early‑stage design wins and potential future revenue from material supply. The collaboration is a strategic step toward Lightwave’s planned volume production and licensing revenue, expected to materialize in 2027.
Lightwave remains in a pre‑commercialization phase. For 2025, the company reported revenue of $237,000, a 147% increase from $96,000 in 2024, and a net loss of $20.3 million, an improvement from $22.5 million in 2024. Research and development spending fell to $11.5 million from $16.8 million in 2024, reflecting a focus on accelerating the technology toward market readiness.
The partnership addresses a growing demand for high‑speed optical interconnects driven by AI and data‑center growth. Pure silicon modulators struggle to reach 400 Gb/s per lane, so Lightwave’s electro‑optic polymers offer a performance advantage. By integrating into Tower’s foundry platform, Lightwave can lower barriers for customers to adopt its technology and expand Tower’s PH18 ecosystem.
"This development agreement strengthens the PH18 silicon photonics platform by expanding the modulator options available to our customers," said Dr. Ed Priesler, Vice President and General Manager of RF Business Unit at Tower Semiconductor. "By incorporating Lightwave Logic's modulator technology into our PDK, we enable customers to implement compact, high‑speed modulators on a scalable foundry platform."
Yves LeMaitre, Chief Executive Officer and President of Lightwave Logic, added, "The collaboration brings the performance advantages of our electro‑optic polymer modulators into a widely accessible foundry PDK, lowering the barrier for customers to create differentiated photonic solutions and accelerate innovation."
The agreement signals Lightwave’s progress toward commercialization and could open revenue streams in 2027, but the company remains unprofitable and in a development stage.
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