NEWPhotonics: The Future of Data Center Technologies

Project Information

NEWPhotonics

Grant agreement ID: 190110577

DOI

10.3030/190110577

Project closed

EC signature date 30 November 2022

Start date 1 December 2022

End date 30 November 2024

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 581 060,00

EU contribution

€ 2 499 742,00

Coordinated by

NEWPHOTONICS LTD
Israel

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NEWPhotonics (NEWPhotonics: The Future of Data Center Technologies)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Established in Jan. 2020, NEWPhotonics is a fabless Photonic IC company developing solutions for the Data Center (DC) acute challenge of ever-growing power consumption. A typical Hyperscale DC has about 50,000 servers connected via millions of connecting devices called "Optical Transceivers". These transceivers convert high speed electronic data signals to optical signals sent via Fiber optical cables to the next level of Servers and Network Processors. Each transceiver has a DSP chip that performs few functions (e.g. multiplexing low bit rate data streams to a single higher data rate stream, converting modulation format from NRZ to PAM4). The DSP accounts for more than 50% of the transceiver power and its cost. AI applications drive the need for faster data rate DSP increasing both its cost and power. The DC unsustainable power requirement has become a global challenge for utility companies and the DC industry.
In this EIC project, Newphotonics has developed a Silicon Photonic (SiP) IC that reduces transceiver power by 65% replacing the power-hungry and expensive electronic DSP! Reducing power saves DC OPEX and reduces Carbon Emission!
Newphotonics SiP chip is suitable for all optical connectivity market segments:
Intra DC: Pluggable Transceivers (connecting servers and network processors), Co-Packaged Optics (connecting GPU boards inside the servers), and connectivity to other DC.
This SiP IC also suits next generation cellular infrastructure and metro networks.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

NEWPhotonics has developed a new architecture without DSP, replacing it with its SiP IC based on in-house developed technologies performing in the optical domain all the functions that the electronic DSP performs in the electronic domain. Newphotonics integrated its own laser sources on its SiP IC such that transceiver built with its chip consumes 65% less power than state-of-the art electronic DSP based transceiver.
NEWPhotonics first developed photonic test chips (at IMEC and other European FABs) to verify new concepts of implementing signal processing in the optical domain.
Industry Partners: Newphotonics performed POC testing and integration with leading companies:
We demonstrated 4*224 GB at OFC 2023 (March 2023) with CREDO Technologies (Nasdaq CRDO). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxsCihfTv00 ) and with Intel (see: https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/intel-and-newphotonics-achieve-breakthrough-with-224gbps-electrical-serdes-and-photonics-engine-integration-302005140.html).
We demonstrated 224 GB performance over 10 km (!) at ECOC (September 2023).
Newphotonics NPG 102 for LPO was awarded 1st prize in the category: The Most Innovative Photonic Component at ECOC 2024 (September 2024): https://newphotonics.com/all-optics-rewarded-innovation-for-npg-tops-our-2024-ecoc/.

IP: Newphotonics applied for dozen patents (4 are granted).

We have completed a full photonic IC R&D cycle within 24 months; From a general concept development, through dozen tape-out of sub-system test chips, to production of commercial grade chips, meeting all program objectives on time while exceeding performance target!

Brand Recognition:
Newphotonics was awarded the 1st prize of ECOC 2024 Most Innovative Photonic Component.
We are one of the "Dream Team" startup companies selected by the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation to represent the most innovative startup companies in Israel https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-peres-center-for-peace_dreamteam-activity-7285268875363946497-j5xt/.

Market Engagement: Newphotonics is cooperating with key players in the industry; Integrating our SiP IC with Credo and Intel - each providing its digital SRDS combined with Newphotonics photonic IC to create a full next generation transceiver solution. We are cooperating with SoftBank in developing solutions for next generation Cellular and DC networks https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/news/press/sbkk/2024/20240924_01/.

Standards Committee achievement: Newphotonics joined the LPO-MSA - an exclusive organization of only few key DC players (like Cisco, Nvidia, Broadcom, and others) to set the standards of next generation LPO transceivers. Our unique (IP protected) "Optical Equalizer" solves critical interoperability problems of these new low power "No DSP" transceivers.
Commercial Achievement: We booked our first commercial order to supply thousands of Photonic chips!

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our solution offers critical advantages (compared to electronic DSP implementation):
a. Power savings (65% savings for our "LPO+" SiP IC-based transceiver)
b. Virtually Zero latency – a critical requirement for AI ready DC
c. The fastest data rate per "lane" ("Lane" is a single fiber thread with a single-color laser)
• In 2023, when the industry state of the art was 112GB, we demonstrated 224GB
• Nowadays, industry develops 224GB per lane while we have demonstrated 448GB
d. Newphotonics has developed and demonstrated an Optical TDMA performance that could multiply the fastest bit rate per lane by a factor of 8! This (IP protected) feature enables 1.6T/3.2 T solutions for "chip to chip" connectivity (the CPO market)
e. "Optical Equalizer" we developed a photonic equalization which currently electronic DSP performs. This equalizer is key for solving interoperability issues in LRO implementations that do not contain a DSP.
f. We developed an extremely fast "Comb Laser" that can generate multiple "colors" thus it reduces about 30% of the power of an equivalent implementation by a set of multiple single color laser diodes. A single "Comb Laser" has better reliability than a multitude of single-color diodes.
g. NEWPhotonics manufactures its Photonics ICs at Mature Foundries with no change to their existing Silicon manufacturing processes (e.g. 45 or 90 or 180 nanometer nodes). These foundries offer ample production capacity at lower cost than manufacturing DSP chips by advanced manufacturing processes (< 10 nanometer) - required for DSP based solutions.
h. Physical Distance: Our first target was to develop a SiP IC for a transceiver operating at a range of distances from 500 m to 2 km. We have improved our design and demonstrated excellent performance over 30 km! This extended range feature is attractive for connectivity outside the DC. It is most suitable for AI RAN of next generation cellular infrastructure. network.

TeamNP Winner-1st Prize most innovative photonic component