PRESENTATION

The role of PICs in the data communication roadmap

Hyperscale data center operators are driving unprecedented growth in data communication speeds. As these required increases in bandwidth outpace the ability of serial channels to respond, the industry has turned to parallelism and wavelength division multiplexing to achieve greater aggregate bandwidths. This in turn has driven the complexity of optical links higher and beyond what can be accommodated with discrete optical components. Photonic Integrated Circuits are no longer a research topic, but are now a must have to meet future Datacom requirements. In this presentation, I will look at where PICs will fit into Datacom roadmaps and how they compare to alternatives. I will compare PIC options, list pros and cons, and give some real world example of PIC successes. I will conclude with recommendations on how PIC suppliers can capture more of the lucrative Datacom market.