Silicon photonics economics set to benefit III-V photonics

Silicon photonics promises to deliver cheaper optical components using equipment, processes and fabrication plants paid for by the chip industry. Now, it turns out, traditional optical component players using indium phosphide and gallium arsenide can benefit from similar economies, thanks to the wireless IC chip industry.

Valery TolstikhinSilicon photonics did a good thing; it turned the interest of the photonics industry to the operational ways of silicon 

So argues Valery Tolstikhin, head of a design consultancy and former founder and CTO of Canadian start-up OneChip Photonics. The expectations for silicon photonics may still to be fulfilled, says Tolstikhin, but what the technology has done is spark interest in the economics of component making. And when it comes to chip economics, volumes count.

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MACOM acquires Mindspeed to boost 100 Gig offerings

MACOM has acquired Mindspeed Technologies for $272 million, gaining two of the company's three divisions: high-performance analogue and communications processors. Intel has gained the third wireless infrastructure division of Mindspeed that includes 3G/ LTE infrastructure ICs and small-cell technology that Mindpseed gained with the acquisition of UK firm, Picochip, in 2012. 

Ray MoroneyThe Mindspeed acquisition increases the serviceable addressible market for MACOM, both geographical - the company will strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific - and by gaining new equipment vendor accounts. It also broadens MACOM's 100 Gigabit physical device portfolio.

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u2t Photonics pushes balanced detectors to 70GHz

• u²t's 70GHz balanced detector supports 64Gbaud for test and measurement and R&D
• The company's gallium arsenide modulator and next-generation receiver will enable 100 Gigabit long-haul in a CFP2

"The performance [of gallium arsenide] is very similar to the lithium niobate modulator"

Jens Fiedler,  u²t Photonics

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OIF promotes uni-fabric switches & 100G transmitter

Improving the switching capabilities of telecom platforms without redesigning the switch as well as tinier 100 Gigabit transmitters are just two recent initiatives of the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF).

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