Laserand

Laserand, often stylized as laserand, is a type of integrated optical device that combines laser light sources with logical AND functions for use in photonic data processing. It originated in the mid‑2010s as part of a broader effort to develop optical computing elements that could operate faster and with lower power consumption than traditional electronic logic gates. The first prototype was presented by a consortium of university researchers in 2016 and subsequently patented in 2018. Commercial production began in 2021 with the launch of the Laserand Series from the company Photonics Dynamics, based in Dresden, Germany.

The core of a Laserand device is a semiconductor laser array whose outputs are spatially and temporally multiplexed. By using waveguides integrated onto the same chip, the laser beams are modulated according to the state of incoming data streams. An optical interferometer then performs the logical AND operation: only when all input beams are simultaneously on does a constructive interference produce a detectable output at the receiver end of the chip. Because the entire process occurs within the optical domain, it avoids the resistive losses that plague electronic transistors.

Laserand technology is primarily applied in high‑throughput optical interconnects for data centers, where it enables gigabit‑per‑second communication between processors with minimal latency. It also promises advantages for sensor fusion in autonomous vehicles, where rapid, low‑power processing of lidar and radar streams is critical. Early prototypes have been integrated into prototype lidar systems for research vehicle platforms, demonstrating reduced power draw compared with conventional electronic processors.

Ongoing research focuses on scaling the number of input channels and improving integration densities. Several academic groups are exploring hybrid laserand architectures that combine conventional electronic control circuits with the optical AND logic to create versatile, reconfigurable photonic circuits. The technology remains in a laboratory‑to‑early‑commercial stage, with broader industrial adoption expected over the next decade.