# Programmable photonic chip measures stable wave properties in simulated lossy systems

_Published Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 3:06 PM EDT · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

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Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology demonstrated a programmable chip that measures wave properties that remain stable when a system changes. In a study published in Physical Review Letters, the chip distinguished systems with these topological properties from ordinary ones and detected an exceptional point, where systems that lose energy behave unusually.

The method mathematically represents an energy-losing system without losing the chip's signal, then compares the light with reference beams to reveal otherwise hidden information. Researchers can reprogram the device to test different scenarios. The demonstration measures these properties; its proposed use in more reliable electronics and quantum devices remains a potential application.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-stabilizing-properties-optical-devices.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/BPvhRWjYXtdisztGKIM8Dz
Published: 2026-10-18T19:06:37.793Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-18T18:00:01.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-18T22:03:26.256Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)