Low-Power Coherent Links for Datacenters
The massive bandwidth demands of future datacenters offer a substantial opportunity for low-cost, low-power coherent wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) photonic interconnects. We are developing coherent link technology tailored to next-generation datacenter requirements that demand: 1) low power consumption, 2) expanded optical link budgets enabled by the large sensitivity gains offered by coherent detection, 3) low cost, and 4) low latency. Moving interconnects from direct to coherent detection also enables future scalability to higher data rates through higher-order modulation formats and polarization modulation. For datacenters, the significantly larger link budget is a potentially game-changing advantage, opening possibilities for novel network architectures that incorporate all-optical routing/switching.
