Next-Generation Heterogeneously Integrated Lasers and PICs on Silicon for AI Applications

Optical I/O is emerging as a key solution to overcome the scaling bottlenecks of AI. While pluggable optical transceivers have been deployed in early AI datacenter networks to extend reach, their size, cost, and power consumption present significant limitations for future AI workloads. To address these challenges, the industry is shifting toward advanced solutions such as Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO), and Near-Packaged Optics (NPO). Beyond these approaches, integrated photonics-based optical I/O—when co-integrated with xPUs or SoCs—offers even greater bandwidth, improved power efficiency, reduced latency, and extended reach, making it a compelling enabler for next-generation AI infrastructure.