Ming Wu

Research Bio

Current Research Projects

  • Large-scale silicon photonic switches for data center networks
  • Silicon photonic Super-Switch
  • Solid-state LiDAR
  • Optical antenna-enhanced nano-LED for energy-efficient optical interconnects
  • Optoelectronic tweezers and Optofluidics

Research Expertise and Interest

silicon photonics, MEMS, photonic integrated circuits, data center networks, 3D sensing, solid state LiDAR, optofluidics

In the News

New chip could lead to cheaper and better medical imaging devices and self-driving cars

Berkeley engineers have created the fastest silicon-based, programmable two-dimensional optical phased array, built on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). This chip could lead to cheaper and more efficient medical-imaging devices, optical communications and holographic televisions. It could also give rise to more robust light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors for self-driving cars.

Largest, fastest array of microscopic ‘traffic cops’ for optical communications

Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley have built a new photonic switch that can control the direction of light passing through optical fibers faster and more efficiently than ever. This optical “traffic cop” could one day revolutionize how information travels through data centers and high-performance supercomputers that are used for artificial intelligence and other data-intensive applications.

Literally Switching Strategies to Handle the Internet Data Flood

Cloud applications and the ever-increasing demand by large enterprises to transmit and analyze “big data” are stretching the capacity of even the largest data center servers as traditional switches become data flow bottlenecks. Ming Wu has invented a new optical, or photonic, switch capable of record-breaking speed that can be fabricated as integrated circuits so they can be mass-produced, keeping the cost per device low.

Five innovators join the ranks of the Bakar Fellows

Five UC Berkeley faculty innovators have been selected for the Bakar Fellows Program, which supports faculty working to apply scientific discoveries to real-world issues in the fields of engineering, computer science, chemistry and biological and physical sciences.

Teaching

Courses taught during the three most recent terms
2026 Spring

  • Supervised Independent Study  [ELENG 199]  

  • Individual Research  [ELENG 299]  

2025 Fall

  • Supervised Independent Study  [COMPSCI 199]  

  • Introduction to Circuits & Devices  [EECS 16B]  

  • Supervised Independent Study  [ELENG 199]  

  • Individual Research  [ELENG 299]  

2025 Summer

  • Supervised Independent Study  [ELENG 199]  

  • Field Studies in Electrical Engineering  [ELENG 297]  

  • Individual Research  [ELENG 299]  

2025 Spring

  • Supervised Independent Study  [ELENG 199]  

  • Lightwave Devices  [ELENG 232]  

  • Individual Research  [ELENG 299]