Large-scale programmable phononic integrated circuits

Abstract

Electronic and photonic chips revolutionized information technology through massive integration of functional elements, yet phonons as fundamental information carriers in solids remain underestimated. Here, we demonstrate large-scale programmable phononic integrated circuits (PnICs) for complex signal processing. We developed a comprehensive library of gigahertz-frequency phononic building blocks that control acoustic wave propagation, polarization, and dispersion. Combining these elements, we demonstrate an ultra-compact 1$\times$128 on-chip acoustic power splitter with unprecedented integration density of 3,000/cm$^2$, a 21-port acoustic frequency demultiplexer with 3.8~MHz resolution, and a four-channel reconfigurable frequency synthesizer. This work establishes scalable phononic integration as the third pillar of information processing alongside electronics and photonics, enabling hybrid chips that combine all three domains for advanced signal processing and quantum information applications.