The Technology
From integrated photonics to a complete computing platform: building a scalable architecture where light becomes the basis for processing information.
The development of the platform starts with CYRAGATE, a family of integrated photonic logic gates that forms the foundation of Tarranix's computing architecture. From these elementary gates, Tarranix is developing simple photonic arithmetic circuits, with the short-term goal of integrating them into CYRALU, its photonic Arithmetic Logic Unit.
To support the development of a complete and functional photonic computing platform, Tarranix is also working on the architecture required around these computational blocks. This includes signal restoration and amplification through CYRAGAIN, optical interconnections and, in the longer term, data storage, state retention and programmable photonic computing architectures.
The objective is not simply to demonstrate that an optical logic gate can operate successfully, but to develop a photonic logic framework that can be combined, cascaded, scaled and integrated into real computing systems.
Photonic Computing
Light offers physical properties that are fundamentally different from those of electrical current. Wavelength, polarization and phase, for example, provide additional degrees of freedom that can be exploited to transmit and process information.
Focusing on wavelength, one of the key advantages of light is that different optical frequencies can travel through the same medium at the same time without interfering with each other. This is the basis of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), one of the core technologies behind modern telecommunications, allowing many independent communication channels to share the same optical infrastructure.
The same principle can be applied to photonic integrated circuits, where a single optical waveguide can carry several channels simultaneously. Within Tarranix, these channels could support independent operations in parallel, increasing the amount of information that can be processed without requiring a proportional increase in the number of physical logic structures. Photonic systems can also provide:
- High bandwidth, with information transmitted and processed optically.
- Massive parallelism, using different wavelengths of light simultaneously.
- Low-loss optical interconnection, particularly on silicon nitride platforms.
For Tarranix, photonics is therefore not simply a more energy-efficient alternative to electronics. It provides a different way of building computing systems, where the properties of light can be used to increase parallelism and reduce the complexity of the physical architecture.
PROJECT'S TIMELINE
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT · 2024–2026
2024
The Photonic Computing Vision
- Conceptualization of a CPU architecture based on photonic information processing.
- Research into optical waveguides, integrated photonics and binary logic.
- Exploration of light-based computation as an alternative to electronic switching.
- Definition of the long-term TARRANIX computing vision.
2025
CYRA Gate — Fully Optical Logic
- Development of a waveguide-based architecture for fully optical logic gates.
- AND, OR and XOR functions designed within a shared photonic structure.
- Multiple optical outputs enable simultaneous logical operations.
- Foundation for scalable, integrated optical computing circuits.
2026Current phase
CYRA Gate — Photonic Circuit Development
- Design and simulation of silicon nitride (SiN) optical waveguides.
- Operation around 1550 nm using integrated photonic components.
- Investigation of optical coupling, insertion losses and signal propagation.
- Development of the architecture for interconnected CYRA logic gates.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT · 2027–2034
2027
CYRA ALU — Photonic Arithmetic & Logic
- Development of a 2-bit photonic Arithmetic Logic Unit.
- Target of 10 arithmetic and logical operations using CYRA Gates.
- Optimized architecture to minimize gate count and optical insertion losses.
- Parallel optical processing with configurable operation selection.
2028
CYRA Memory — Fully Photonic Storage
- Development of an integrated optical memory for storing binary information.
- Investigation of optical feedback, resonators and bistable photonic states.
- Targeted read/write functionality with optical data retention.
- Direct optical interfacing with the CYRA ALU to store computation results.
2029
CYRA Gainer — Optical Amplification
- Development of optical gain and signal restoration between computing blocks.
- Compensation for propagation, coupling and switching losses.
- Normalization of optical logic levels for reliable cascading of circuits.
- Integration of amplification, signal conditioning and interconnects.
2030
CYRA CPU — RISC-V Photonic Processor
- Integration of CYRA ALU, memory interfaces and optical signal management.
- Target implementation of a RISC-V-compatible instruction architecture.
- Von Neumann-compatible operation with instruction and data memory access.
- Development of optical datapaths, control logic and processor interconnections.
2031–2032
TARRANIX — Integrated Computer Prototype
- Integration of the CYRA CPU into a complete computing platform.
- Development of memory hierarchy, optical interconnects and system interfaces.
- Implementation of electronic I/O and software execution compatibility.
- Prototype testing of complete computing workloads and system performance.
2033
TARRANIX — System Validation
- Validation of computing accuracy, reliability and signal integrity.
- Optimization of energy consumption, thermal control and optical losses.
- Testing of fabrication repeatability and long-term component stability.
- Preparation of manufacturing processes and domestic system integration.
2034
TARRANIX — Photonic Home Computer
- Target fabrication of a complete domestic photonic computing system.
- CYRA-based processor integrating optical arithmetic and logic technology.
- RISC-V software compatibility with a conventional computing model.
- A new computing platform designed for energy efficiency and scalability.
Our Competitive Advantage
We are building a scalable computing architecture based on integrated optical logic.
Tarranix is not focused on developing a single photonic device. Our approach combines several key advantages:
- Integrated silicon nitride photonics — Tarranix is built on a low-loss SiN platform, providing a strong foundation for increasingly complex photonic circuits and larger optical computing architectures.
- A compact three-waveguide logic architecture — CYRAGATE uses a three-waveguide coupling structure in which optical signals are processed through controlled interference.
- Different gate geometries are designed for specific logical functions, providing a compact building block for larger computational circuits.
- Parallel computation through wavelength.
One of the most important directions being explored in Tarranix is the possibility of performing the same logical operation simultaneously across multiple wavelengths. If experimentally validated, this would allow several independent data channels to be processed within the same physical photonic structure. Cascadability as a design priority. Demonstrating an isolated optical gate is not enough to build a computing system.
Tarranix is addressing one of the fundamental challenges of optical logic from the beginning: preserving sufficient signal contrast and power when multiple logic stages are connected in sequence. From individual gates to complete computing blocks CYRAGATE is only the starting point. The architecture is being progressively extended towards arithmetic circuits, CYRALU, signal restoration through CYRAGAIN, optical interconnection and, eventually, more complete photonic computing architectures.
Our competitive advantage lies not in a single optical gate, but in the systematic development of the technologies required to turn optical logic into a scalable computing platform.
