Xscape Photonics and Tower Semiconductor jointly launched a multi-wavelength laser technology optimized for AI datacenter fabric interconnects.

Tower Semiconductor and Xscape Photonics have announced the successful prototyping and validation kit availability of an on-chip, optically pumped, multi-wavelength laser source, built on Tower's mature, high-volume PH18 Silicon Photonics platform. The solution supports CWDM and DWDM wavelength grids and is tailored for AI datacenter fabrics, where bandwidth density, power efficiency, and scalability are essential.

The optical interconnect market for AI datacenters is experiencing significant growth driven by rising demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity in hyperscale AI deployments. According to LightCounting, sales of optical transceivers and LPO/CPO for AI clusters are expected to reach more than $10 billion in 2026, double the size of sales in 2024, with projections reaching $20 billion by 2030.

The solution enables high performance, reliability, and lower costs while simplifying the supply chain by monolithically embedding programmable multi-color lasers on-chip, pumped optically by a single CW external laser. This eliminates the need to source multiple externally modulated lasers or require hybrid III-V integration, and is especially impactful for GPU-to-GPU and GPU-to-HBM optical links in AI clusters. Xscape Photonics' multi-color laser platform, ChromX, leverages proprietary CombX technology to allow end users to easily integrate high-performance laser sources while significantly reducing packaging complexity and component count. Leveraging Tower's high-volume PH18 platform, the solution is fully compatible with established photonic components such as modulators and detectors, offering a seamless upgrade path for existing customers.

Vivek Raghunathan, CEO of Xscape Photonics, stated, "Our close collaboration with Tower has allowed us to bring to market a highly differentiated, manufacturable, and scalable solution. By building on Tower's proven and qualified high-volume PH18 platform, we've eliminated the need for costly hybrid laser integration and delivered the first monolithically integrated, multi-color laser source directly on-chip. This will transform how AI fabrics are architected going forward." Ed Preisler, Vice President and GM of Tower Semiconductor's RF Business Unit, added, "Tower's multi-sourced and high-volume silicon photonics platform has once again demonstrated its ability to support advanced custom solutions for AI and datacenter customers at scale. This new solution exemplifies how our flexible, modular technology ecosystem enables rapid prototyping and high-volume production adoption for emerging AI and data-driven markets."