A new technical paper titled “X-pSRAM: A Photonic SRAM with Embedded XOR Logic for Ultra-Fast In-Memory Computing” was published by researchers at University of Wisconsin–Madison and USC.
Abstract
“Traditional von Neumann architectures suffer from fundamental bottlenecks due to continuous data movement between memory and processing units, a challenge that worsens with technology scaling as electrical interconnect delays become more significant. These limitations impede the performance and energy efficiency required for modern data-intensive applications. In contrast, photonic in-memory computing presents a promising alternative by harnessing the advantages of light, enabling ultra-fast data propagation without length-dependent impedance, thereby significantly reducing computational latency and energy consumption. This work proposes a novel differential photonic static random access memory (pSRAM) bitcell that facilitates electro-optic data storage while enabling ultra-fast in-memory Boolean XOR computation. By employing cross-coupled microring resonators and differential photodiodes, the XOR-augmented pSRAM (X-pSRAM) bitcell achieves at least 10 GHz read, write, and compute operations entirely in the optical domain. Additionally, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) enables n-bit XOR computation in a single-shot operation, supporting massively parallel processing and enhanced computational efficiency. Validated on GlobalFoundries’ 45SPCLO node, the X-pSRAM consumed 13.2 fJ energy per bit for XOR computation, representing a significant advancement toward next-generation optical computing with applications in cryptography, hyperdimensional computing, and neural networks.”
Find the technical paper here. June 2025.
Kaiser, Md Abdullah-Al, Sugeet Sunder, Ajey P. Jacob, and Akhilesh R. Jaiswal. “X-pSRAM: A Photonic SRAM with Embedded XOR Logic for Ultra-Fast In-Memory Computing.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.22707 (2025).
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