Marvell demonstrates 2nm optical interconnects capable of 3.2 terabit-per-second data center links at ECOC 2026 conference.

Marvell Technology has demonstrated industry-first 2nm optical interconnect technologies at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) 2026, running September 20–24 in Málaga, Spain. The centerpiece is a 2nm 400G-per-lane optical PAM4 solution that enables link speeds of 3.2 terabits, up from 1.6 terabits.

The company is presenting 38 technology demonstrations across optical PAM4, coherent links, and silicon platforms. Among these is an 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable module that integrates MACsec security via Marvell's Libra DSP. MACsec, an encryption standard for network traffic at the hardware layer, encrypts data before it leaves the module rather than relying on software-layer protection.

Marvell is also showcasing a 2nm 1.6T ZR solution alongside coherent-lite technologies. The most ambitious demonstration is a 102.4T co-packaged optics (CPO) platform running 200G-per-lane silicon photonics. Co-packaged optics integrates optical components directly alongside switch silicon rather than using separate pluggable modules, resulting in shorter electrical paths, lower power consumption, and significantly higher aggregate bandwidth than traditional architectures.

Process node shrinks reduce the energy per transistor switching event. For optical interconnects deployed by the thousands in a single data center, modest per-unit power savings compound into substantial facility-level reductions.

Marvell previously delivered 3nm-based 1.6T solutions. The Electra DSP for 1.6T links and Libra DSP for 800G were both announced earlier in 2026 and are expected to begin sampling in the second half of the year.