Molex Ventures is making a strategic investment and collaboration between the Molex Optical Solutions Group and Elenion Technologies in order to jointly develop, manufacture and promote silicon photonic-based product solutions.
Will silicon photonics live up to its promises? Pauline Rigby investigates
Silicon photonics is on the verge of experiencing dramatic uptake in optical transceivers, market research firm Yole Développement has reported, with the technology set to capture 35 per cent – almost $4 billion – of the optical transceiver market by 2025, up from just a few per cent in 2016.
The transceivers are expected to be used mostly for intra-data centre communication, according to Yole, with the strongest demand being for 400G (400 Gigabits per second), and 200G acting as an intermediate step between 100G and 400G.
Mellanox Technologies is stopping development of its 1550nm silicon photonics technology and products, effective immediately. About 100 people will lose their jobs as a result.
Mellanox gained its silicon photonics activities through the 2013 acquisition of Kotura in a deal valued at $82 million. The start-up had developed a line of variable optical attenuators (VOA) in silicon photonics, and believed that its technology showed great promise to drive down the cost of high-speed interconnect products.
As data demand ramps ever higher, researchers are looking to innovative amplifier designs to help transport a broader light spectrum through optical fibres, finds Andy Extance
Duncan Ellis shares his views about the increased focus on automation from network operators, and how the physical layer has so far stubbornly resisted the move
Switching off copper networks where fibre has been deployed is the end game, so why are so few operators doing it, wonders Pauline Rigby
With demand for fibre to the premises increasing, Keely Portway looks at the role training plays in ensuring installation skills remain available to meet this growing demand