TLDR
- Lightwave Logic (LWLG) shares climbed as high as 30% during Thursday’s premarket session following news of a silicon photonics collaboration with Tower Semiconductor (TSEM).
- The partnership focuses on incorporating LWLG’s electro-optic polymer modulator technology into Tower’s PH18 silicon photonics process design kit.
- The modulator designs aim for bandwidths exceeding 110GHz, enabling 200G and 400G modulator configurations.
- Several engineering tapeouts are scheduled for 2026 to confirm performance specifications for AI infrastructure applications.
- This announcement comes after LWLG’s previous collaboration with Luceda Photonics and SilTerra, while Tower recently partnered with Nvidia for 1.6Tbps optical modules.
Lightwave Logic (LWLG) shares were already experiencing momentum after Wednesday’s trading session, which saw gains exceeding 15% to finish at $5.02 — marking the strongest single-day performance in over five months. Thursday brought even more excitement.
The announcement of a development partnership with Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) sent LWLG shares soaring. Premarket trading witnessed gains reaching 30%.
The collaboration 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 strong contender for 400-gigabits-per-lane use cases within photonic integrated circuits — precisely the type of high-velocity data transmission capabilities that AI data centers require in growing quantities.
This partnership extends beyond mere intentions. The companies will provide customers with access to engineering tapeouts scheduled for 2026, enabling early participants to test and verify modulator-based configurations on the PH18 platform.
Understanding the Technology
The initiative will test low-power 200G and 400G modulator designs intended for deployment in AI infrastructure, high-performance computing environments, and sophisticated networking systems.
“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, advancing nearly 2% in premarket activity after the partnership was revealed.
Expanding Partnership Network
This Tower Semiconductor agreement represents just one element of Lightwave Logic’s broader strategic initiatives. In early March, the company revealed that its electro-optic polymer modulator platform had been integrated into Luceda Photonics’ design framework, specifically targeting SilTerra Malaysia’s silicon photonics infrastructure.
That collaboration enables engineers to develop and execute photonic integrated circuit designs incorporating LWLG’s modulators for 200G and 400G per lane functionality. An initial tapeout involving SilTerra, Lightwave Logic, and Luceda Photonics was successfully completed earlier this year.
Performance testing and validation results from that initial tapeout are anticipated around mid-2026.
For Tower Semiconductor, the LWLG partnership complements its February announcement regarding cooperation 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 portfolio, with the Lightwave Logic collaboration aligning with this strategic direction.
LWLG finished Wednesday’s session at $5.02. TSEM gained approximately 2% during Thursday’s premarket trading following the partnership disclosure.
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