How is POET used to integrate silicon photonics.

A look back to the 2018 AGM

A word on Silicon Photonics which is another competing integration platform for photonics integration. The Optical Interposer platform not only provides a versatile chip-scale assembly platform for photonics in general, but it is also compatible with more conventional silicon photonics solution. This has opened up a new opportunity for silicon photonics-compatible component-integrated waveguide solutions in addition to fully integrated optical engine solutions. Our waveguide integrated active indium phosphide devices that has detectors or lasers which are a critical component of the Optical Interposer platform are also directly compatible with conventional silicon photonics technology. The vast majority of today's silicon photonic solutions do not integrate lasers at wafer scale. Relegated to a die scale assembly, the true merits and cost advantages of wafer scale integration are lost. POET’s waveguide integrated active indium phosphide components that are developed as part of its Optical Interposer platform solutions provide a light source that can be integrated into silicon photonics devices, enabling cost advantages of wafer scale integration.

POET announced work on laser arrays that they were working on for a large customer some time ago saying they could combine 4, 8 and even 16 lasers.

And more recently we have learned that POET is now using MZI silicon modulators in their 400 optical modules.

If we look at what Luxtera brings to Cisco in terms of optics it still has the many components that limit silicon. Check out the video clip. Note the fiber connection at the surface grating which as we know is a leading source of leakage in silicon photonics and of course the lasers are not integrated. And you will note extensive use of wire bonding.  

So look  at the Luxtera clip … manufacturing process. Number 1 share for 100G-PSM4. That is first generation using 8 fibers. POET has built the first wafer level AWG waveguide filter that no one else has been able to do that requires only 2 fibers for CWDM4. You can't produce the glass block used for CWDM in a CMOS fabricaqtion process...You have to use an arrayed waveguide filter which only POET has been able to produce that meets the required signal shape and spacing.

So  for  400G POET offers improvements for  both standards (with or without CWDM filtering).

When you look at the Luxtera clip it looks impressive but remember that Luxtera’s assembly also requires active alignment with a ball lens. http://www.luxtera.com/silicon-photonics-technology/

Cisco Launches 'Internet for the Future' Strategy & Silicon Architecture.

Introducing Cisco Silicon One – Breakthrough Unified, Programmable Silicon Architecture
Traditionally, multiple types of silicon with different capabilities are used across a network and even within a single device. Developing new features and testing can be lengthy and expensive. Unified and programmable silicon will allow for network operators to greatly reduce costs of operations and reduce time-to-value for new services.

Interestingly our new president talked about POET’s future devices being programmable through a GUI. As I read the above it makes a little more sense.