TLDR
- Lightwave Logic (LWLG) jumped as high as 30% during Thursday’s premarket session following news of a silicon photonics collaboration with Tower Semiconductor (TSEM).
- The partnership will incorporate LWLG’s electro-optic polymer modulator technology into Tower’s PH18 silicon photonics process design kit.
- The technology is designed for bandwidths exceeding 110GHz, enabling 200G and 400G modulator configurations.
- Engineering tapeouts scheduled for 2026 will test performance capabilities for AI data center applications.
- This announcement comes after LWLG’s earlier collaboration with Luceda Photonics and SilTerra, while Tower recently partnered with Nvidia on 1.6Tbps optical modules.
Lightwave Logic (LWLG) shares had already posted impressive gains Wednesday, climbing more than 15% to settle at $5.02 — marking the strongest daily performance in over five months. Thursday brought even more momentum.
The company unveiled a development partnership with Tower Semiconductor (TSEM), triggering an immediate market reaction. LWLG shares rocketed up to 30% during premarket hours.
The agreement focuses on incorporating Lightwave Logic’s electro-optic polymer modulator technology into Tower’s PH18 silicon photonics process design kit (PDK). These modulator designs are engineered for bandwidths exceeding 110 gigahertz.
This positions the technology as a viable solution for 400-gigabits-per-lane performance within photonic integrated circuits — precisely the high-bandwidth data transmission capability that AI data centers require.
The partnership extends beyond a simple agreement. The companies intend to provide customers with access to engineering tapeouts scheduled for 2026, enabling early users to test modulator-based configurations on the PH18 platform.
Understanding the Technology
The initiative will test low-power 200G and 400G modulator designs intended for AI infrastructure, high-performance computing environments, and next-generation networking applications.
“This collaboration allows us to bring the performance advantages of our electro-optic polymer modulators into a widely accessible foundry PDK, lowering the barrier for customers to create differentiated photonic solutions and accelerate innovation,” CEO Yves LeMaitre said.
Tower Semiconductor shares also responded positively, climbing nearly 2% in premarket activity after the partnership was revealed.
Expanding Partnership Network
This marks the second major collaboration for Lightwave Logic in recent weeks. In early March, the company announced integration of its electro-optic polymer modulator technology into the Luceda Photonics design platform, working with SilTerra Malaysia’s silicon photonics capabilities.
That partnership enables engineers to design and execute photonic integrated circuit tapeouts using LWLG’s modulators for 200G and 400G per lane performance. SilTerra, Lightwave Logic, and Luceda Photonics successfully completed an initial tapeout earlier this year.
Testing and performance verification from that engineering run is anticipated around mid-2026.
For Tower Semiconductor, the LWLG collaboration follows its February announcement of working with Nvidia to create 1.6 terabits-per-second optical modules designed for AI data centers utilizing its silicon photonics technology.
Tower continues expanding its AI infrastructure partnerships, and the Lightwave Logic arrangement aligns with this strategic direction.
LWLG finished Wednesday’s session at $5.02. TSEM climbed nearly 2% in Thursday’s premarket session after the partnership was announced.
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