Dr. Adam Carter highlights the latest advancements in optical communications and networking.

Adam covers the transition to 800G interconnects in datacenters and the need for 1.6T, in the near future. This is driven by an explosion in demand for artificial intelligence together with the longer-standing need for increased, network bandwidths. Over the next two years, the supply chain, which struggled with a doubling of demand for front-end datacenter interconnects, must now cope with the 10x growth predicted for AI - which OpenLight PASIC technology helps to enable with increased production efficiency, reliability and capacity.

OpenLight’s strategic partnership with Jabil, announced at OFC, is designed to enable much-needed, higher volume, silicon photonics manufacture. Jabil takes OpenLight wafers to make optical sub-assemblies at scale, which OpenLight then tests for function and reliability.

200G VCSELs and EMLs are also pushing manufacturing capabilities to the limit and the yield experienced in pluggable modules, the default interconnect method, is currently too low. This may drive innovative technology and architecture solutions as a result of the pressure to move to 800G.

Government funding is enabling foundries to deploy silicon photonics, but work is needed to improve interoperability between different manufacturers' modules. The formation of a Linear Pluggable Optics, Multi-Source Agreement (LPO-MSA) in March, comprising a collaboration of 12 industry-leading companies, will help define specifications and a new, industry standard going forward.

The full interview can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYNkxxaXxl8