From Co-Packaged Optics to Nanolasers: Photonics Moves Inward

July 30, 2026 -

CEA-Leti, Scintil Photonics, and NcodiN show how optical interconnects are moving from data center racks toward co-packaged optics and chiplet-level communication.

By Pat Brans, EE Times

As AI processors become assemblies of GPUs, memory stacks, and specialized chiplets, the optical link is no longer just a data center networking component. It’s becoming part of advanced packaging. CEA-Leti, Scintil Photonics, and NcodiN are each working on a different stage of that transition, from multi-wavelength laser sources for co-packaged optics to nanolasers designed for photonic interposers.

Historically, silicon photonics in data centers has been associated with the front panel of the rack, said Eléonore Hardy, partnership manager at CEA-Leti. Electronics inside the rack perform the computing, while optical transceivers convert electrical signals into photons that can travel through fiber across the data center or beyond.

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