Get the latest tech news

Can cheaper lasers handle short distances?


VCSELs may serve in more non-photonic applications.

“We have seen the transition from long haul to metro-to-local area networks and then into the data center,” said Suresh Jayaraman, senior director for package development at Amkor Technology. “DFB lasers are ‘better’ — i.e., with narrower linewidth, larger bandwidth, higher optical output power, and they can operate in O and C bands — but they’re also more expensive,” said Jigesh Patel, principal engineer, photonic systems and circuits at Synopsys. The company is combining it with a wafer that acts as an optical interposer, with grating couplers to admit the laser light into waveguides and photodiodes to convert back to the electrical domain.

Get the Android app

Or read this on Hacker News

Read more on:

Photo of short distances

short distances

Photo of cheaper lasers

cheaper lasers