Integrated Photonics for Data and Telecom
As the world becomes increasingly connected via the Internet, the demand for data continues to rise. Alongside increased usage, the digital population also continues to grow, with current estimates close to 5 billion users worldwide. So how will the data and telecom industry meet this exponential growth in demand?

How PICs help
- Highly effective at processing and transmitting data
- Low energy consumption and data demand
- Possible to combine with traditional components
The future of telecom




Challenges
Right now, there are two key challenges for the data and telecom industry: a shortage of chips and the potential for data demand to outstrip supply. With the demand for mobile network connectivity steadily increasing, the networks themselves must also grow accordingly, in an energy efficient way, in order to meet demand. This rise in mobile data usage points towards reciprocal growth in base stations and cell towers for 5G. But how can we accelerate network growth and save energy at the same time? Put simply, in order to mitigate the anticipated growth in data demand, we need 10 times more energy efficiency in existing data centres and for mobile technologies, approximately 20 times more energy efficiency. With transistor scaling trends coming to an end, the world needs new ways to solve the problem.

PICs to the rescue
That’s where integrated photonics comes in. Leveraging the power of light, PICs are highly effective at processing and transmitting data – sensing with the highest level of precision. Taking advantage of the diminutive dimensions of recent digital signal processing (DSP) chips, it’s possible to produce smaller, lower power, and more affordable solutions. By integrating photonics, it’s possible to combine several components into one Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) and one DSP. This technology allows things like 4G transceivers to be reduced to a size, small enough to fit inside a lamppost. It can also open the door to smart antennas – multi-faceted devices which can send multiple beams to multiple places at the same time.

Next steps for photonic chips in data and telecom
So what’s next for integrated photonics for data and telecom? Over the coming decade, it’s clear that integrated photonics will become a driving force in data communication from cell towers to switches. It will also play an indispensable part in more efficient solutions within the data centre. But its potential in data and telecom runs much deeper. Quantum computing is an important, disruptive technology which has the power to revolutionise cybersecurity. Although its large-scale commercial deployment is still at least a decade away, prototypes and niche market products are currently in production, made possible by integrated photonics.
How can we help?
Are you working on an application in which you can use photonics, but need support or specific know-how? Or do you need design or process support? We here at PhotonDelta can help deal with challenges along the entire supply chain.
Partners / Data & Telecom
