VU Amsterdam Secures PhotonDelta Funding to Advance Light-Based Chip Technology
Amsterdam, Tuesday 24 February 2026
Supported by the €1.1 billion PhotonDelta ecosystem, VU Amsterdam and AMOLF are launching the METAPIC project to master wavefront shaping, a critical leap for dynamic light control in future semiconductors.
Unlocking Light: The METAPIC Initiative
As the European semiconductor landscape shifts towards optical computing to overcome the speed and heat limitations of traditional electronics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and AMOLF have formally launched the METAPIC project [1][2]. Funded by the Nationaal Groeifonds through the PhotonDelta ecosystem, this initiative focuses on the development of electro-optically tunable meta circuits [1]. The project is spearheaded by Dr Imran Avci at VU and the Resonant Nanophotonics group at AMOLF, led by Principal Investigator Femius Koenderink [2]. By securing this funding, the institutions aim to bridge the critical gap between theoretical nanophotonics and scalable manufacturing, a move that reinforces the Netherlands’ strategic position in the global chip supply chain.
Engineering Light on a Chip
The technical core of the METAPIC project addresses one of the most persistent challenges in integrated photonics: dynamic wavefront shaping [1]. The research team is tasked with designing ‘metasurface pixels’—two-dimensional arrays of scatterers, or ‘meta-atoms’, that are tailored for diffractive outcoupling [2]. Unlike static optical components, these meta-atoms enable the precise manipulation of light with high speed on a single chip [2]. The objective is to create low-loss systems capable of controlling light dynamically, utilizing electro-optical nonlinear materials to achieve functionality that was previously impossible at this scale [1]. Mastering this technology is a prerequisite for the next generation of optical metrology and wave-based information processing [2].
Strengthening the Semiconductor Value Chain
The project explicitly targets the commercial semiconductor value chain by integrating academic research with industrial application. The consortium includes industry partners Rapid Photonics and PlanOPSim, ensuring that the design and fabrication strategies developed in the AMOLF nanolab cleanroom are viable for broader market adoption [2]. This collaboration highlights the ‘lab-to-fab’ philosophy central to the PhotonDelta growth model, which seeks to accelerate the Benelux region’s autonomy in chip design and production. The technology developed here is projected to have immediate downstream applications in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), adaptive optics, and Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) systems [1][2], sectors where European tech sovereignty is increasingly prioritized.