Vector Photonics is beginning commercialisation of an uncooled, 1W, 1,310nm, CW PCSEL. The PCSEL is intended for the interconnects, silicon photonics and CPO used in next-generation cloud data centre applications. A 1W laser offers significant optical power increases over incumbent DFB technology, with countless manufacturing and energy saving benefits. According to the firm, this will be a ‘game-changer’ for cloud datacoms applications.
Currently, next-generation datacentre interconnects must deliver 800Gbps, increasing to 1.6Tbps and then 3.2Tbps over the next decade. The 1W PCSEL enables this development, with a significant reduction in the quantity of lasers required over DFB technology. The interconnects, silicon-photonics chips and CPO systems, where they are used, become significantly easier to make, with the likelihood of improved yield and reliability. In addition, the 1W PCSEL has a symmetrical far-field that requires less operational power to achieve the necessary performance.
The full impact of a 1W PCSEL is yet to be quantified, according to Vector Photonics. However, the firm says that such high-power lasers will change the entire architecture of datacoms chips and systems. Further, significant benefits include reduced power consumption, heat, latency, and manufacturing costs.
