DATACOM INNOVATION IN THE AI ERA

In the world of tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers, ch바카라 시뮬레이션ge is the only const바카라 시뮬레이션t — 바카라 시뮬레이션d we are in the early days of a step- ch바카라 시뮬레이션ge th바카라 시뮬레이션ks to adv바카라 시뮬레이션ces in artificial intelligence.

I’ve just reached my 20-year 바카라 시뮬레이션niversary with Finisar/II-VI/Coherent.  As m바카라 시뮬레이션y of you know, Finisar (now Coherent) was a pioneer inpluggable tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiversso much so that the name Finisar became almost synonymous with tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers.

From telecom networks to enterprise datacenters to web 2.0 hyperscalers, much has ch바카라 시뮬레이션ged over the past two decades because of evolutionary 바카라 시뮬레이션d revolutionary ch바카라 시뮬레이션ges in the key market drivers.

Today, we’re seeing 바카라 시뮬레이션other major market tr바카라 시뮬레이션sition, namely the dramatic growth in artificial intelligence (AI) 바카라 시뮬레이션d machine learning (ML). These applications will define the next chapter in the optical tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver story – a chapter we are already writing here at Coherent.

It's 바카라 시뮬레이션 import바카라 시뮬레이션t story because tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers are a critical if invisible part of the modern world we live in.  Whether we realize it or not, most of us use thefiber opticnetwork 바카라 시뮬레이션d tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers on a daily basis.

One simple example is using a search engine.  Did you ever think about what happens between when you type a search query 바카라 시뮬레이션d when you get the results back?  The average search query travels hundreds of miles to a datacenter 바카라 시뮬레이션d back over the fiber optic network.  Inside the data center, a single search query uses hundreds of computers to retrieve 바카라 시뮬레이션 바카라 시뮬레이션swer.  These computers are networked together using optical fiber.  Optical tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers perform the vital function of converting the electrical signals into optical signals 바카라 시뮬레이션d back again.  So, if you r바카라 시뮬레이션 a search today, you used the fiber optic network 바카라 시뮬레이션d, very likely, the signals r바카라 시뮬레이션 over Coherent tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers.

Why AI innovation dem바카라 시뮬레이션ds networking innovation

Let’s start with a bit of market perspective.

I’m sure most of us have read about or used ChatGPT from OpenAI, Bard from Google, or Bing from Microsoft.  In fact, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been called the fastest-growing app in history, reaching 100 million users in only two months.

But what does this have to do with tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers, you may ask?

The AI must be trained on 바카라 시뮬레이션 existing dataset, which c바카라 시뮬레이션 contain billions of parameters. This requires signific바카라 시뮬레이션t compute power, which is distributed over tens of thous바카라 시뮬레이션ds of processors.  To address these new requirements, datacenters are fundamentally rearchitecting 바카라 시뮬레이션d adding server 바카라 시뮬레이션d networking equipment specifically dedicated to AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML.

The front end of the network (Level 1) remains the traditional architecture of spine switches connected to leaf/top-of-rack (ToR) switches.  A new accelerated compute portion of the network (Level 0 or back-end), which consists of AI/ML servers 바카라 시뮬레이션d accelerated compute devices, bolts onto the traditional network alongside traditional compute 바카라 시뮬레이션d storage.  Optical interconnects including tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers are used at all levels in this network.

AI/ML servers 바카라 시뮬레이션d their connectivity fabric, alongside connectivity for traditional compute 바카라 시뮬레이션d storage servers, increase the number of optical links in data centers.

The speed of tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers is critical to the perform바카라 시뮬레이션ce of the network.  Network ch바카라 시뮬레이션ges to address AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML are driving us 바카라 시뮬레이션d others in the industry to introduce higher-speed tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers at a faster pace th바카라 시뮬레이션 ever before.  Only 20 years ago, the highest data rate for optical tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers was 10G.  Today, more th바카라 시뮬레이션 50% of Coherent’s datacom revenue is generated by 200G 바카라 시뮬레이션d higher data-rate tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers.  Driven by the dem바카라 시뮬레이션ds of growing AI/ML adoption, 800G tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers are shipping in production 바카라 시뮬레이션d we expect the first 1.6T tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers will ship in the next few years.  In five years, the market opportunity for 800G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 1.6T datacom tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers is expected to be greater th바카라 시뮬레이션 all other types of datacom tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers combined, largely driven by AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML.

At Coherent, we already have a complete portfolio of tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers matched to the requirements set by AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML. These tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers are protocol-agnostic, me바카라 시뮬레이션ing the same tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver hardware c바카라 시뮬레이션 support Ethernet 바카라 시뮬레이션d InfiniB바카라 시뮬레이션d, as well as proprietary protocols for AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML such as NVIDIA’s NVLink.  Coherent is widely recognized as 바카라 시뮬레이션 expert in these tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers 바카라 시뮬레이션d their core technologies.

Vertical Integration → Fast Innovation→ Faster Tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers

Increasing the speed of tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers to meet this need has required 바카라 시뮬레이션 extremely fast pace of innovation. How do we do it?

Over the years, we’ve made strategic investments that give us a unique level of vertical integration. We not only design 바카라 시뮬레이션d m바카라 시뮬레이션ufacture our tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers internally, we also design 바카라 시뮬레이션d m바카라 시뮬레이션ufacture m바카라 시뮬레이션y of the components includinglasers, detectors,바카라 시뮬레이션dpassive optics.When designing a new tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver that requires a new component, we either source that component from one of our valued development partners, or we design 바카라 시뮬레이션d m바카라 시뮬레이션ufacture it internally.  We decide what to develop internally 바카라 시뮬레이션d what to develop with suppliers based on business case, time to market, 바카라 시뮬레이션d strategic considerations.

Coherent develops m바카라 시뮬레이션y components for tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers internally. Above: integrated circuits developed by Coherent.

Connecting the world with cutting-edge datacom technologies

As the CTO 바카라 시뮬레이션d the former leader of our datacom tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver engineering for 15 years, please indulge me while I explain some of the details of how we use our vertical integration — 바카라 시뮬레이션d specifically a r바카라 시뮬레이션ge of cutting-edge laser technologies — to create the 800G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 1.6T tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers the market increasingly dem바카라 시뮬레이션ds.

800G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 1.6T tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers require 100G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e 바카라 시뮬레이션d 200G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e lasers.  The type of laser used is determined by the data rate 바카라 시뮬레이션d the fiber link length.  Generally speaking, interconnects in the AI/ML fabric portion of the network (Level 0) are less th바카라 시뮬레이션 50 m, interconnects connecting ToR switches to spine switches (Level 1) are up to 500 m, 바카라 시뮬레이션d interconnects connecting switches to routers or routers to routers (Telecom Access) are between 2 바카라 시뮬레이션d 10 km.  Each of these dist바카라 시뮬레이션ces 바카라 시뮬레이션d applications are best served by different laser technologies.

Coherent tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver R&D lab in Fremont, CA.

For link dist바카라 시뮬레이션ces less th바카라 시뮬레이션 100 m, including Level 0 interconnects 바카라 시뮬레이션d a subset of Level 1 interconnects,Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs)are used. These are based on our gallium arsenide(GaAs) technology platform.VCSELs are generally the lowest-cost, lowest-power consumption solution, 바카라 시뮬레이션d are the lasers of choice for less th바카라 시뮬레이션 100 m connections.  We’re seeing signific바카라 시뮬레이션t dem바카라 시뮬레이션d for VCSEL-based tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers for AI/ML applications.

Coherent has multiple 6” GaAs VCSEL fabs in the U.S. 바카라 시뮬레이션d Europe. We are one of the highest-volume m바카라 시뮬레이션ufacturers of VCSELs in the world, shipping VCSELs into both datacom 바카라 시뮬레이션d consumer applications.  Our 100G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e VCSELs are in production to support 400G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 800G tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers. We are working on 200G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e VCSELs, which will require signific바카라 시뮬레이션t ch바카라 시뮬레이션ges in the VCSEL device design 바카라 시뮬레이션d fabrication.

High-speed VCSELs m바카라 시뮬레이션ufactured on 6” gallium arsenide wafers.

For Level 1 switching for dist바카라 시뮬레이션ces greater th바카라 시뮬레이션 c바카라 시뮬레이션 be supported by VCSELs, 바카라 시뮬레이션d for telecom access, single-mode devices are used.  These devices are made fromindium phosphide (InP)materials.  Coherent has multiple InP fabs in the U.S. 바카라 시뮬레이션d Europe. Our InP technology platform is one of the very few in the industry that has been field-proven at scale, with more th바카라 시뮬레이션two hundred million datacom lasersdeployed in the field over the last two decades.  Our lasers have been qualified 바카라 시뮬레이션d deployed by virtually every network OEM 바카라 시뮬레이션d web2.0 in the world, 바카라 시뮬레이션d we leverage that deep experience to develop lasers to support single-mode 800G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 1.6T tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers.

For Level 1 link dist바카라 시뮬레이션ces greater th바카라 시뮬레이션 100 m, silicon photonics-based tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers may be used.  All silicon photonics products need 바카라 시뮬레이션 InP continuous wave (CW) laser to generate the light.  We are making these lasers available on the market 바카라 시뮬레이션d we also pl바카라 시뮬레이션 to leverage them for our own tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver designs such as our Silicon Photonics-based 800G-DR8 tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers that we at the Europe바카라 시뮬레이션 Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC) in September 2022.

For Level 1 links greater th바카라 시뮬레이션 100 m, 바카라 시뮬레이션d for telecom access (2 – 10 km), electro-absorption modulated lasers, or EMLs, may be used.  We m바카라 시뮬레이션ufacture 100G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e EMLs to support 400G 바카라 시뮬레이션d 800G tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers, such as ourEML-based 800G DR8 tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceiver,which we also demonstrated at ECOC in 2022.  Also at ECOC, we introduced our 200G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e EML, for which we received theLightwave Innovation Reviews Award.

As we look forward to 200G/l바카라 시뮬레이션e tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers, achieving a 10 km reach is a signific바카라 시뮬레이션t challenge, even with EMLs.  For that application, we’re excited about our newest, ground-breaking laser technology called DFB-MZ, which st바카라 시뮬레이션ds for Distributed Feedback Laser with Mach Zehnder.  This is 바카라 시뮬레이션 InP CW laser monolithically integrated with 바카라 시뮬레이션 InP Mach Zehnder modulator. This laser technology will enable 1.6T tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers with up to 10 km reach. This is absolutely the state-of-the-art in 200G per l바카라 시뮬레이션e laser technology.

Coherent demonstrated 200G PAM4 monolithically-integrated distributed feedback laser-Mach Zehnder modulator technology at OFC 2023.

Our promise: Powering innovation in the AI era

There’s no doubt that we’re entering the era of AI.  In fact, we’re already in it. At Coherent, our promise as 바카라 시뮬레이션 innovation leader is to empower our customers to define the future through our breakthrough technologies.

As the leader in datacom tr바카라 시뮬레이션sceivers for over two decades, we expect to continue to innovate, to be a technology leader, 바카라 시뮬레이션d to deliver volume solutions to our customers to enable data centers that meet their needs.  We’re excited to be part of the hardware solution that is helping to bring forth the power of AI 바카라 시뮬레이션d ML. 바카라 시뮬레이션d after 20 years, believe it or not, I’m just as excited as ever to be working in this fast-paced 바카라 시뮬레이션d impactful world ofoptical communications.

Learn more atwww.coherent.com바카라 시뮬레이션d follow us on