Optical Computing

Global – October 16, 2026 -- The Gazelle optical computing evaluation board performs 8×2 fundamental optical matrix computations and is described by its maker as the highest-precision optoelectronic computing device known to date.

Gazelle pairs a programmable optical matrix with an FPGA and a ready-made software stack

The research platform is built on optical principles. An onboard FPGA and an out-of-the-box software stack are meant to let developers start work without building their own tooling. The optical matrix is programmable, and the board supports a range of commonly used debugging interfaces.

Three target workloads span AI inference, scientific computing and combinatorial optimization

For neural networks, Gazelle targets inference of models used in image recognition and object detection. For scientific research, it is positioned to solve scientific computing problems more efficiently than classical paradigms.

Global – October 16, 2026 -- Lightelligence's PACE2 accelerator card combines a 128×128 optical matrix multiplier with more than 40,000 photonic devices, and the company rates both its optical and electronic cores at 32 TOPs peak performance.

Hybrid architecture pairs a photonic core with an electronic core

The card, released in 2025, uses a heterogeneous design. An optical tensor processing unit (PIC core) works alongside an electronic tensor acceleration unit and an optical computing control unit (EIC core). The chip runs at a 1GHz clock speed, and PIC latency is 200ps.

Lightelligence describes the 128×128 matrix as the largest optical computing matrix it has built. Matrix coefficients can be configured dynamically through APIs, so the card is programmable.