Adtran and Vertilas announced the industry's first 100Gbit/s PAM4 single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology with capabilities up to 1.6Tbit/s. On display at this week's OFC, it sets new standards for low power consumption in optical engines and modules, with up to 80% reduction in power on the transmit optics compared to conventional solutions. Tailored specifically for the rigorous demands of intra-data center operations and AI/ML workloads, Adtran's latest offering achieves unprecedented efficiency, consuming less than 2pJ/bit, including the laser driver. This significantly undercuts current industry standards, including those cited by co-packaged optics.

The advancement is set to extend the capabilities of Adtran's MicroMux?? family of small-form-factor pluggable transceivers. A major step towards meeting the needs of the rapidly expanding generative AI application market, Adtran's latest innovation addresses the growing demand for robust, high-capacity and environmentally friendly data processing solutions.

Building on the success of Adtran's microMux?? family, the new VCSEL technology leverages a short-cavity single-mode design and is based on indium phosphide semiconductor material. This enables it to operate across both O-band and C-band wavelengths, delivering 100Gbit/s per channel.

By stacking multiple single-mode lasers into arrays, this approach achieves throughput of 800Gbit/s and 1.6Tbit/S, ensuring superior performance with a significant reduction in power consumption and costs. This enhanced energy efficiency presents a major advantage for IP router and Ethernet switch faceplate density. What's more, its versatility extends to supporting a wide array of applications from DR4/8/16 to various FR4 links within optical engines, all while maintaining power consumption below 200mW per lane.

Demos of Adtran's new VCSEL technology are available at this week's OFC on request.