High-Speed Data Transfer Mechanisms

In the March 2024 Issue of IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits (JSSC)🏷️https://lnkd.in/gYusghfz, Intel Labs reported a 3D heterogeneously integrated #DWDM optical transmitter (OTX) that simultaneously modulates eight 200GHz-spaced wavelengths (8-λ) at 50Gbps/λ each, delivering a per-fiber bandwidth of 400Gbps. Energy efficiencies of the OTX (measured at 400Gbps across 8-λ) and its EIC portion (including #NRZ serialization and clocking overhead) are 2.5pJ/bit and 1.17pJ/bit, respectively. Excerpts (edited): 📝Two bottlenecks in datacenters are latency between compute nodes and limited per-node resource (e.g., #HBM). One way to improve latency is to flatten network hierarchy by reducing/eliminating network switches while forging direct node-to-node links. Per-node resource can be enhanced by disaggregating/allocating/pooling compute, memory, I/O, etc. 📝Both network flattening and resource pooling require a high-bandwidth, low-latency, energy efficient interconnect solution that can also increase the signal reach for continued #AI or #HPC scale-out. Silicon-Photonic (Si-Ph) Interconnect, with its long-reach ability and high bandwidth density, fits the bill. 📝8 optical carriers driven by an integrated Multi-Wavelength Laser (MWL) are combined to feed 8 cascaded Micro-Ring Modulators (MRMs), whose resonant wavelengths can be modulated electrically. The resonant nature of MRMs enables DWDM without the need for explicit/clear-cut optical multiplexers, a key benefit of MRMs over MZMs (Mach-Zehnder Modulators). A thermal tuning/tracking mechanism is applied to maintain MWL-MRMs alignment with an always-on, closed-loop Thermal Control Unit (TCU). 📝The on-chip DFB (Distributed Feedback) laser can generate a fairly high output power (e.g., 13dBm/λ at 100mA and 80C). 📝Sharing one laser across multiple fibers using splitters maximizes the system energy efficiency. To compensate the optical loss due to splitting, we implement an integrated Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) such that only 3.7dBm/λ is needed from the MWL for an 8-λ DWDM link. 📝The on-chip laser eliminates the need for dedicating a fiber to an external laser, thereby avoiding the associated coupling loss and power consumption. 📝The OTX contains an EIC fabricated in 28nm CMOS and a PIC in Intel’s 300mm hybrid Si-Ph process, which are flip-chip-bonded. The III-V epitaxial structure that holds the MWL and SOA is wafer-bonded to the rest of the PIC. The whole PIC is attached to a substrate, and wire bonds bring power, clock, and control/observability from the substrate to the OTX die complex. 🔍Observation: Laser integration for CPO is hard but not impossible; one touchstone is a robust MWL-MRMs coherence that is resilient to thermal fluctuations and wavelength/power/process variations. Next, build TSVs into the PIC and replace wires with bumps, making it a true 3D assembly!👍 🏷️Full article: https://lnkd.in/gr295cAF 🏷️CPO (IV): https://lnkd.in/g4TM84Kp ➟To be continued.

Chinese Scientists Unlock 10,000X Speed Boost in Optical Fiber with Neural Networks Breakthrough in Fiber Optic Bandwidth Researchers at the University of Shanghai have developed a neural network-based technique that can increase fiber optic speeds by a factor of 10,000—potentially reaching up to 125 terabytes per second. This discovery challenges existing assumptions about optical fiber bandwidth limitations and could revolutionize data transmission for high-performance computing, cloud infrastructure, and global internet connectivity. Overcoming Fiber Optic Bottlenecks While fiber optics is already the fastest data transfer medium, it has traditionally been constrained by bandwidth limits due to factors such as signal degradation, interference, and inefficient multiplexing methods. The Chinese research team has bypassed these limitations using neural networks, which optimize signal processing and error correction in ways that classical networking methods cannot. How Neural Networks Enhance Fiber Optics Unlike traditional approaches that manually adjust transmission parameters, neural networks can: • Dynamically optimize signal encoding and decoding to maximize available bandwidth. • Reduce interference and noise, allowing for higher-density data transmission. • Unlock previously untapped potential in fiber optics, making existing infrastructure significantly more efficient. Implications for Global Networking and AI If successfully implemented, this breakthrough could transform: • Cloud computing and data centers, enabling near-instantaneous data transfers. • AI model training, which relies on massive datasets and high-speed networking. • Telecommunications, potentially leading to faster, more efficient 6G and beyond. This discovery redefines the upper limits of optical fiber technology, offering unprecedented speeds that could reshape the future of internet and AI-driven infrastructure.

Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan have developed a wireless chipset achieving a 640 Gbps transmission rate, 100 times faster than 5G. Utilizing a 65 nm silicon architecture, the cost-effective chip can be mass-produced. The transceiver chip, with integrated circuits for both transmitting and receiving, features amplifiers and a frequency converter to maintain signal strength. Demonstrated speeds reached 640 Gbps using 16 QAM modulation, promising advancements for automated cars, telemedicine, and virtual reality.

Do you know - Terahertz Experimental Authorization (THEA) ❓ One Pager for THEA and Involvement in Telecom Industry and use cases: 1️⃣ Ultra-High-Speed Wireless Communication: Next-Generation Networks: THz frequencies can offer data transfer rates far exceeding those of current technologies like 5G. They are expected to play a crucial role in the evolution of 6G networks, providing extremely high bandwidth and low latency for applications requiring substantial data throughput. High-Bandwidth Links: THz communication can be used to establish ultra-fast, short-range wireless links, which are useful for high-speed data transfers between data centers, within campus networks, and in dense urban areas. 2️⃣ High-Capacity Backhaul Networks: Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Backhaul: THz frequencies could be employed to augment or replace existing microwave and millimeter-wave backhaul links, offering higher capacity and better performance in network backbones. Fiber Optic Alternative: For certain applications, THz communication could serve as a wireless alternative to fiber optics, providing high-capacity links without the need for physical cabling. 3️⃣ Dense Urban Connectivity: Small Cell Networks: THz technology can support the development of high-capacity small cell networks in urban environments, where it can provide gigabit-per-second speeds over short distances, alleviating congestion and enhancing connectivity in densely populated areas. Network Densification: As cities become more connected, THz frequencies could be used to create a dense network of small cells, enabling more efficient spectrum usage and improved network performance. 4️⃣ High-Speed Data Transfer for Mobile Devices: Enhanced Device-to-Device Communication: THz technology can facilitate extremely fast data transfers between mobile devices, improving the efficiency of tasks like file sharing and media streaming. 5️⃣ Advanced Radio Access Technologies: Millimeter-Wave and THz Integration: Combining THz with existing millimeter-wave technologies can lead to the development of advanced radio access technologies that offer enhanced capacity, coverage, and reliability. 6️⃣ Research and Development: Innovation in Communication Systems: THz technology provides a platform for developing and testing innovative communication systems and protocols, driving advancements in wireless technology and network design. 7️⃣ High-Speed Point-to-Point Communication: Fixed Wireless Access: THz frequencies can be used for high-speed point-to-point wireless links, providing robust and rapid data connections for fixed wireless access solutions, especially in areas where laying fiber optic cables is impractical. 8️⃣ Enhanced Spectrum Utilization: Frequency Reuse: THz technology allows for more efficient frequency reuse in crowded spectrum environments, improving overall network performance and capacity. #Telecom TelecomTV NEXTGEN Innovation Labs Bharat 6G Alliance 6G Academy #terahertz #6G #Innovation

“Optical data communications lasers can transmit several tens of terabits per second, despite a huge amount of disruptive air turbulence. ETH Zurich scientists and their European partners demonstrated this capacity with lasers between the mountain peak, Jungfraujoch, and the city of Bern in Switzerland. This will soon eliminate the necessity of expensive deep-sea cables. The backbone of the internet is formed by a dense network of fiber-optic cables, each of which transports up to more than 100 terabits of data per second (1 terabit = 1012 digital 1/0 signals) between the network nodes. The connections between continents take place via deep sea networks—which is an enormous expense: a single cable across the Atlantic requires an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. TeleGeography, a specialized consulting firm, announced that there currently are 530 active undersea cables—and that number is on the rise. Soon, however, this expense may drop substantially. Scientists at ETH Zurich, working together with partners from the space industry, have demonstrated terabit optical data transmission through the air in a European Horizon 2020 project. In the future, this will enable much more cost‑effective and much faster backbone connections via near-earth satellite constellations. Their work is published in the journal Light: Science & Applications.” https://lnkd.in/gutnVcbN