ABQ Times

Sandia National Laboratories is collaborating with Maxwell Labs, a Minnesota-based startup, on a novel approach to cooling computer chips using lasers. This collaboration aims to develop laser-based photonic cooling technology, reducing power consumption and increasing efficiency beyond traditional air and water cooling methods. The partnership involves Sandia, Maxwell Labs, and the University of New Mexico.

Raktim Sarma, the lead Sandia physicist on the project, highlighted the potential impact: “About 30 to 40 percent of the energy data centers use is spent on cooling.” The demand for water in cooling systems can also strain local resources.

Maxwell's microchip components aim to decrease energy costs for data centers and improve performance levels. Maxwell Labs Co-Founder Mike Karpe stated, “A successful project will not only address the immediate need for energy savings but also pave the way for processors to operate at performance levels that were previously thought impossible.”

Data centers processing internet services require extensive cooling systems to manage the heat generated by tasks such as AI training. Photonic technologies, like those being explored in this project, can offer faster and more energy-efficient alternatives compared to electronics.

The concept of using lasers for cooling might seem unconventional, given their usual association with heating applications like welding and 3D printing. However, specific conditions can allow lasers to cool, as explained by Sarma: “We really only have to cool down spots that are on the order of hundreds of microns.”

Maxwell's approach aims to replace or complement current water and air-based cooling systems with a photonic cold plate. This design uses materials with microscopic features channeling laser light to localized hot spots. CEO Jacob Balma noted the potential for energy recovery, stating, “This will enable novel energy-recovery paradigms not possible with traditional cooling technology.”

If successful, the laser-based cooling system could allow chips to operate without overheating, enhancing both performance and energy efficiency. “The unique capability of light to target and control localized heating... unlocks thermal design constraints," Balma added.

Maxwell’s Chief Technology Officer, Alejandro Rodriguez, emphasized the strong partnership with Sandia Labs: “It became clear to me... that Dr. Sarma and Sandia Labs are among only a handful of partners that carry the vision... to address the highly interdisciplinary... components of this project.”

Sandia brings expertise in gallium arsenide, a semiconductor integral to Maxwell’s cold plate design. It requires thin, extremely pure layers, achievable through molecular beam epitaxy, as noted by Sandia's Sadhvikas Addamane. “With MBE, we use ultrahigh purity sources,” he remarked.

The collaboration combines Maxwell Labs' technical designs, Sandia's device construction, and thermal performance analysis by UNM.