NLM Photonics Unveils Groundbreaking Silicon-Organic Hybrid Modulator
San Diego, Monday, 31 March 2025.
NLM Photonics’ new silicon-organic hybrid modulator, revealed at OFC 2025, promises to revolutionize data centers with enhanced performance and efficiency, setting new benchmarks in photonic technology.
Revolutionary Technology Breakthrough
NLM Photonics has achieved a significant milestone with their 1.6 Terabit DR8 photonic integrated circuit (PIC), which will be showcased at the OFC 50 conference starting tomorrow in San Francisco [1]. The breakthrough comes at a crucial time when semiconductor industry capital expenditure is projected to reach $160 billion in 2025, marking a 5/155*100}% increase from 2024 [2].
Industry-Leading Collaboration
The development represents a collaborative effort between NLM Photonics and industry leaders including Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), Centera Photonics, Enosemi, MACOM, and Multilane [1]. According to Brad Booth, CEO of NLM Photonics, ‘AI workloads are pushing the boundaries of electronics and photonics in the communications industry’ [1]. The company’s innovative hybrid OEO technology has achieved a remarkable 40% size reduction compared to standard 1.6T silicon photonics PIC while delivering 200Gb/s per lane bandwidth [1].
Thermal Stability and Manufacturing Excellence
A key advancement in this technology is the thermal stability of NLM’s Selerion-HTX organic materials, tested to exceed 120°C [1]. Matt Streshinsky, CEO of Enosemi, highlighted this achievement as a solution to a historical challenge in photonic applications [1]. AMF’s CEO, Jagadish CV, emphasized the manufacturability and cost-effectiveness of the solution for emerging 1.6Tb/s optics demands [1].