Advance co-packaged optics enabling high-efficiency cloud computing

ongoing

ADOPTION works toward the goal of proving a low power and low cost solution for intra-data centre networks employing co-packaging of the optical (CPO) transceivers with the packed switch chip. Hyperscale data centres are a fundamental and inextricable part of our digital society. However, data centre power consumption represents a huge global problem accounting for 1% of the global power consumption. Scaling the capacity of the current architectures for intra-data centre networks is also becoming more and more challenging due to the increasing power consumption of the electrical interconnects between electrical packet switches and pluggable optical transceivers. ADOPTION aims at addressing switch capacities scaling beyond 204.8Tb/s with port speeds of 6.4Tb/s by reducing the electrical interconnect lengths using silicon photonics CPO transceiver engines with high power efficiency targeting around 3pJ/bit. ADOPTION will also develop innovative packaging solutions using a two-part assembly separating the electrical and optical layers to simplify processes and increase yield. An advanced active optical alignment for fibre arrays will also be integrated in the assembly process with the aim of reducing assembly time and improving coupling efficiency. With these solutions ADOPTION is targeting the challenging goal of reducing the cost of the optical interfaces to below 50 cents per Gb/s. ADOPTION will also demonstrate disruptive new network architectures for hyper-scale data centres and AI computing clusters utilising optical switching and routing to increase efficiency and reduce latency. ADOPTION is aiming to create a new ecosystem of research and innovation, building on the complementary expertise of 3 SMEs, 3 large companies and 4 research institutions in the consortium, and to redefine the digital supply chain for CPO transceivers, fostering European competitiveness in this new value chain. To fulfil this vision, the consortium is asking for 5.8 M€.