Photonic Chip Networking
Talon-backed investment focus. This page is claim-safe by design: no hype metrics, no unverifiable assertions.
TL;DR
- On-chip or chip-to-chip interconnects using light to move data with lower latency/power constraints.
- Relevant to scaling AI compute and dense systems.
- Hard problems: packaging, thermal effects, yield, and standards.
- Talon angle: track foundry progress, packaging ecosystems, and interface specs.
What It Is
Photonic interconnects use optical links to move data within or between chips. The key is manufacturable integration with existing compute systems.
Why Now (Without Hype)
- Compute density increases pressure on power and bandwidth.
- Silicon photonics platforms are maturing.
- Packaging and co-design practices are improving.
What We Look For (Before Series B)
- Integration plan: packaging, thermal, power, and interface compatibility.
- Demonstrated performance with clear measurement methodology.
- A path to volume manufacturing and test.
Market Landscape
Key players: Ayar Labs (optical I/O chiplets, US), Lightmatter (photonic AI interconnects, US), Luminous Computing (photonic compute, US), Ranovus (multi-wavelength silicon photonics, CA), Rockley Photonics (sensing + datacom, UK), Lightelligence (AI optical accelerators, US/CN).
Technical approaches: Silicon photonics (CMOS-compatible), co-packaged optics (CPO), pluggable optics (OSFP, QSFP-DD), linear-drive photonics, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM).
Recent funding: Lightmatter $400M total (through 2023), Ayar Labs $130M Series C (2022). Driven by AI training clusters (GPU-to-GPU bandwidth bottleneck) and hyperscale datacenter demand.
Technical Challenges & Progress
Power efficiency: Current electrical SerDes: 5-10 pJ/bit at 100 Gbps. Photonic links: 1-3 pJ/bit target (3-10x improvement). Ayar TeraPHY: 3 pJ/bit demonstrated. Critical for exascale computing and AI clusters.
Bandwidth density: Electrical links plateau at 224 Gbps/lane (PAM-4). Photonics: 100+ Gbps/wavelength × 8-16 wavelengths = 1-3 Tbps/fiber. Co-packaged optics enable 51.2 Tbps/switch (Broadcom Tomahawk 5 + CPO).
Packaging & alignment: Optical coupling loss <1 dB required. Challenges: fiber attachment, thermal expansion mismatch, vibration stability. Progress: V-groove arrays, grating couplers, edge couplers with <0.5 dB loss.
Economics: Cost parity with copper at 2-5 m reach (short-reach interconnects). Volume manufacturing ramps: AIM Photonics, TSMC silicon photonics, Intel integrated photonics.
Research Hotspots
Leading groups: Keren Bergman (Columbia, US - photonic networks), David Miller (Stanford, US - optical interconnects), Michal Lipson (now Ayar, US - silicon photonics), Ray Chen (UT Austin, US - 3D optical interconnects).
Geographic clusters: Bay Area (Lightmatter, Ayar, Stanford), Boston (MIT, Harvard photonics), Belgium (imec/Ghent University silicon photonics foundry), Eindhoven (TU/e photonic integration).
Emerging hubs: Seoul (ETRI, KAIST), Singapore (IME, A*STAR), Shenzhen (Southern University, Tsinghua SIGS).
Signals Talon Watches
- Silicon photonics roadmaps; foundry announcements.
- Packaging ecosystem progress and standard interface definitions.
- Benchmark results from credible evaluations.
Skeptic Checks (Common Failure Modes)
- If packaging is ignored, it will fail.
- If claims are based on simulations only, risk is high.
- If the integration surface is not explicit, adoption is unclear.
Primary Sources
Cite this page
Photonic Chip Networking | SpringOwl Technology Partners
Canonical: https://springowl.com/focus/photonic-chip-networking
Last updated: 2026-02-12