Intel Reveals Groundbreaking Optical Interconnect Technology Harnessing Photonics Power

Intel Reveals Groundbreaking Optical Interconnect Technology Harnessing Photonics Power


Intel’s Integrated Photonic Solutions (IPS) Group, a part of Team Blue (Intel), has unveiled the industry’s first OCI interconnect chiplet, marking a significant milestone in the AI market. This breakthrough technology offers higher bandwidth data transfer, lower power consumption, and increased range, paving the way for accelerated machine learning workloads in high-performance AI infrastructure.

The OCI chiplet supports up to 64 channels at 32Gbps data transmission rates, significantly improving performance compared to traditional electrical I/O interconnects. It also boasts benefits like better bandwidth, greater energy efficiency, lower latency, and increased reach. The technology can now extend distances up to 100 meters with optical fiber, marking a major advancement for AI markets.

Intel’s OCI chiplet utilizes a silicon photonics integrated circuit (PIC) to transmit data through light, supporting bidirectional data transfer up to 4 terabits per second. It comes with a packaged design that enhances power efficiency and speed, overcoming barriers associated with traditional electrical I/O connections to cater to the growing demands of AI markets.

The company aims to create an efficient solution that addresses the limitations of current data center infrastructure and meets the requirements of next-generation computing systems. The integration of silicon photonics technology and electrical IC in the OCI chiplet enables high-speed data transfer, delivering reliability and performance essential for data centers and high-performance computing environments.

Intel’s leadership in silicon photonics stems from over 25 years of research and development, leading to the deployment of silicon photonics-based connectivity products with industry-leading reliability. Intel’s approach emphasizes integration, utilizing hybrid laser-on-wafer technology and direct integration to achieve high reliability and cost-effectiveness. The company’s silicon photonics fab process node is continuously evolving to improve performance, density, and power efficiency while reducing costs.

With Intel’s groundbreaking OCI chiplet technology, the company is poised to revolutionize the AI market by offering higher bandwidth, energy-efficient solutions that address the increasing demand for data processing and storage capabilities. This development underscores Intel’s commitment to advancing silicon photonics technology and establishing itself as a leader in the field.

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