optics
24 articles about optics in AI news
TSMC, Intel, Samsung, GF Split on Co-Packaged Optics
Four foundries—TSMC, Intel, Samsung, GlobalFoundries—are pursuing distinct co-packaged optics strategies as electrical interconnects fail beyond 200-400 Gb/s per lane. The approaches are not directly comparable, reflecting divergent packaging bets.
Ayar Labs Joins NVIDIA NVLink Fusion Ecosystem for Co-Packaged Optics
Ayar Labs joined NVIDIA's NVLink Fusion ecosystem to bring co-packaged optics to AI factories, following its $500M Series E and alongside Lightmatter's similar move.
NPO: The Interim Bridge Between Pluggable Optics and True CPO
SemiAnalysis outlines NPO as an interim packaging between pluggable and true CPO, offering serviceability and lower blast radius. NPO bypasses CPO production challenges while retaining most benefits.
Foxconn to Mass-Produce 10,000+ CPO Optical Switches for AI in Q3 2026
Foxconn's manufacturing arm will begin volume production of advanced co-packaged optics (CPO) switches in Q3 2026, targeting over 10,000 units. This move directly addresses the critical bandwidth and power bottlenecks in next-generation AI data center infrastructure.
TSMC Pushes CPO, CoPoS; AUO Eyes Test Partner Role
TSMC advances COUPE and CoPoS; AUO seeks testing role. Report via @dnystedt, with Ennostar, Tyntek, GCS as potential supply chain partners.
China's DFSX SuperNode Doubles GB200 Memory Bandwidth on 14nm
China's DFSX SuperNode claims 2x GB200 memory bandwidth using 14nm vertical towers, but lacks benchmarks or ship dates, warranting skepticism.
Lumentum CEO: Indium Phosphide Shortage Will Top Memory's
Lumentum CEO warns indium phosphide shortage will exceed memory's; Nvidia invested $2B each in Lumentum and Coherent to secure laser supply.
Ecolab Acquires CoolIT Systems for $4.75B in AI Cooling Bet
Ecolab acquires CoolIT Systems for $4.75B in AI liquid cooling bet. Nvidia endorsement signals strategic alignment with high-density GPU racks.
Lightmatter Photonics Joins Nvidia NVLink Fusion for AI Interconnects
Lightmatter joins Nvidia NVLink Fusion with photonic interconnects. Nvidia Kyber rack delayed to 2028.
Nvidia Commits $6.5B to Photonics in Supply Chain Bet on AI's Next Bottleneck
Nvidia has invested over $6.5 billion across four photonics suppliers since March 2026, pairing equity stakes with multi-billion-dollar purchase commitments. The deals coincide with capacity expansion announcements from Coherent, Nokia, and Japan's JX Advanced Metals, and signal that optical interco
Nvidia Networking Revenue Hits $14.8B, Up 199% as AI Spending Shifts Beyond GPUs
Nvidia's Q1 FY2027 networking revenue surged 199% to $14.8B, signaling AI infrastructure spending is moving beyond GPUs into full-system networking. New reporting splits into Hyperscale and ACIE segments reflect a broadening customer base beyond hyperscalers.
Nvidia Partners Corning for US Fiber Manufacturing, Prepaying Billions
Nvidia partners Corning for US fiber manufacturing with multibillion-dollar prepayments, increasing domestic capacity by 50%+ for AI GPU cluster interconnects.
NJ Voters Back AI Data Center Bans as NIMBY Push Grows
54% of New Jersey voters support banning AI data centers, per a Jan 2026 poll. Nationally, 49% oppose local construction, threatening hyperscaler buildout plans.
JPMorgan: Agentic AI Could Flip Server Ratio to CPU-Heavy
JPMorgan reports that agentic AI workloads could increase CPU demand, potentially flipping the GPU-to-CPU ratio from 7-8 GPUs per CPU to CPU-heavy deployments, with a $100B TAM for AI CPU infrastructure.
Meta, Microsoft Lay Off 17,000 in One Day for AI Spending
Meta fired 8,000 employees and Microsoft laid off 9,000 within hours of each other, signaling a coordinated shift of resources from headcount to AI compute and model development. The layoffs underscore a trend where big tech prioritizes AI investment over workforce stability.
Arista Doubles 2026 AI Revenue Target to $3B+ on Open Ethernet
Arista Networks doubled its 2026 AI networking revenue target to over $3 billion, citing expanded roles for open Ethernet in AI data centers. This signals a major shift toward disaggregated, standards-based networking for AI clusters.
Cisco Reveals Scale-Across GPU Networking Needs 14x DCI Bandwidth
Cisco's chief architect detailed the massive bandwidth requirements for connecting AI clusters via 'scale-across' GPU networking, which needs 14x the capacity of traditional data center interconnects. This shift is creating a multi-billion dollar market for 800G coherent pluggables and deep-buffered switches.
Nvidia's Silicon Photonics Roadmap Targets AI Data Center Bottlenecks
Nvidia is developing its own silicon photonics-based interconnects to address the growing data transfer bottleneck within AI data centers and supercomputers. This move is critical as AI model size and cluster scale continue to grow exponentially.
AMD Backs UALink Open Interconnect to Challenge NVIDIA NVLink in AI
AMD is supporting the newly formed UALink Consortium, which aims to create an open standard for connecting AI accelerators. This move challenges NVIDIA's control over the critical NVLink technology that underpins its AI data center systems.
Anthropic's Adaptive Thinking: A Compute-Constrained Efficiency Play
Analysis suggests Anthropic's new 'adaptive thinking' feature is a direct response to compute constraints and competitive pressure from OpenAI, aiming to optimize token usage for enterprise clients at the potential cost of consumer experience.
Chamath Palihapitiya: SpaceX to Underpin AI-Driven Space Economy
Investor Chamath Palihapitiya stated that SpaceX's infrastructure will allow AI to rebuild every dimension of Earth's economy in space, creating vast new value layers.
Kyushu University AI Model Achieves 44.4% Solar Cell Efficiency, Surpassing Theoretical SQ Limit
Researchers at Kyushu University used an AI-driven inverse design method to create a photonic crystal solar cell with 44.4% efficiency, exceeding the 33.7% Shockley-Queisser limit for single-junction cells.
Silicon Photonics Breakthrough Enters Mass Production, Paving Way for Next-Generation AI Infrastructure
STMicroelectronics has begun mass production of its PIC100 silicon photonics platform, enabling 800G and 1.6T data rates critical for AI data centers. This breakthrough technology replaces copper with light for faster, more efficient data transmission between AI accelerators.
China's $47.5 Billion Gambit: The National Push to Build a Homegrown ASML
China's top semiconductor executives are calling for a consolidated national effort to develop domestic alternatives to ASML's EUV lithography machines. With $47.5B in state funding, they aim to overcome export restrictions that block access to advanced chipmaking tools.