Lawmakers Call for Restricting Export of Photonic Semiconductor Tech to China

The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged the Commerce Department this week to prevent American know-how and investment from supporting the development of China’s photonic semiconductor sector.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the committee’s chairman and ranking member, respectively, said they’re concerned that photonic technology could allow China to overtake the U.S. in semiconductors. Unlike electronic chips, which use electronic signals to send information, photonics uses light particles, which some expertsbelieve “can offer a 1,000-fold improvement in computational speed,” the lawmakers said.

The letter says Commerce should consider investigating leading Chinese photonics companies, especially those designing equipment for China’s second photonic chip product line. It also recommends examining the possibility of amending the Commerce Control List to explicitly incorporate photonic technology and chips as part of its controlled technology.

In a statement, a Commerce spokesperson said the department has “received the letter and will respond through the appropriate channels.”