Coherent Demonstrated Next-generation Transceiver and Semiconductor Laser Technology for 800G and 1.6T Transmission in AI Networks at ECOC 2023

The live demonstrations included the following:

OSFP 800G-FR4 DSP-based optical transceiver, highlighting 200G optical lanes

OSFP 800G-DR8 linear pluggable optical (LPO) transceiver

200G PAM4 Mach-Zehnder modulated laser with differential driver from Semtech, highlighting advanced integrated InP laser technology

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 2, 2023– COHERENT Corp., a leader in optical communications components and subsystems,announced that it would demonstrate next-generation transceivers and laser technology for 800G and 1.6T datacom transmission at ECOC 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland, October 2-4, stand #406. Such advances are critical to sustaining the accelerating growth of the cloud driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML).

800G-FR4 Optical Transceiver

This live demonstration showcased an 800G transceiver in an OSFP form factor with four CWDM wavelengths, each operating at 200G PAM4, and an 8x100G PAM4 electrical interface. The demonstration ran over 3km of single-mode fiber. These transceivers were for use in 25T and 50T Ethernet switches with 100G electrical lanes. They represented a natural evolution from transceivers with 100G optical lanes because they were more power-efficient and cost-effective. This technology was expected to form the core of the second generation of 800G transceivers and the first generation of 1.6T transceivers. Initial applications were anticipated in AI/ML applications and hyperscale datacenters.

800G-DR8 Linear Pluggable Optical Transceiver (LPO Transceiver)

This live demonstration will showcase a linear pluggable optical (LPO) transceiver module that features eight channels of 100G PAM4 transmitters and receivers in an OSFP form factor. The 800G-DR8 LPO transceiver is vertically integrated with optical components all from Coherent. This demonstration will show an excellent pre-FEC bit error rate without the need for a digital signal processor (DSP) inside the module. This LPO technology is expected to form the core of the first generation of LPO transceivers, offering low power consumption and low latency optimized for AI/ML applications. Coherent works with optical industrial leaders and customers to provide interoperable LPO transceivers for the next generation of AI/ML applications.

200G PAM4 Mach-Zehnder Modulated Laser with Semtech Differential Driver

This live demonstration showcased a distributed feedback laser (DFB) and Mach-Zehnder modulator combined monolithically in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that transmitted a 200G PAM4 signal over a 6km fiber. The laser was driven by the FiberEdge® 200G PAM4 MZM driver from Semtech Corporation. The differential drive of the DFB-MZ laser achieved superior signal integrity, particularly in higher-density multichannel designs, enabling 1.6T transceivers with up to 10km reach. The DFB-MZ featured a channel-specific chirp control that provides excellent dispersion management. The DFB-MZ supported wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), including local area network (LWDM) and coarse (CWDM) wavelength plans. A cooled DFB-MZ supports LWDM for reaching up to 10 km. An uncooled DFB-MZ supported CWDM for shorter reaches.