Aeva just announced a new high-power semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) aimed at the exploding needs of AI data centers, co-packaged optics, and FMCW LiDAR systems.
They’re sharing details about its performance, how they plan to manufacture it, and why this marks a move for Aeva beyond just LiDAR—venturing into broader Physical AI and autonomous infrastructure markets.
High‑Power Optical Amplification for AI Infrastructure
AI workloads keep getting bigger, and data centers feel the squeeze to push more bandwidth while keeping power and heat in check.
Optical amplification really matters here, especially as the tech world shifts toward co-packaged optics and crams more optical channels together.
Aeva’s new SOA jumps right into these challenges, mixing high optical output power with solid electrical efficiency.
The company claims the device pushes out more than 28 dBm of optical output and hits wall‑plug efficiencies above 20% at up to 50°C—pretty close to what you’d see in real data-center conditions.
Why Efficiency and Thermal Robustness Matter
In big AI setups, saving even a single watt at the component level can mean lower cooling bills, less system hassle, and fewer headaches down the road.
Thermal toughness is a big deal too, since optical parts now sit right next to hot-running compute devices in these new co-packaged setups.
Designed for Manufacturability and Scale
Aeva doesn’t just talk performance—they put manufacturability front and center.
They’re building the SOA in modern semiconductor fabrication facilities, which helps with high yields, steady reliability, and keeps costs under control.
Honestly, if you can’t make these performance leaps at scale, they’ll never show up in real-world data centers.
Aeva’s choice to stick with proven semiconductor processes means this SOA could actually land in high-volume AI infrastructure, not just some niche lab setup.
System‑Level Benefits
With high power, efficiency, and temperature tolerance, Aeva says you get some real system-level perks, like:
- Lower total system power draw
- Reduced cooling and running costs
- Better long-term reliability in crowded optical setups
- Room to scale for high-bandwidth AI interconnects
From FMCW LiDAR to Physical AI Platforms
Most folks know Aeva for their frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LiDAR tech, but this SOA shows how their integrated photonics platform can stretch further.
The same things that matter in LiDAR—precision, stability, efficiency—turn out to be just as useful in optical amplification for communications.
Aeva points out that their SOA fits right into multi‑beam FMCW LiDAR systems, where more optical power and efficiency can boost range, resolution, and reliability.
It also opens the door to bigger Physical AI and autonomous systems markets, which are hungry for tough, reliable photonic components.
Alignment with Emerging Optical Architectures
Aeva sees a fit for this SOA in setups like External Laser SFPs (ELSFPs) and parallel optical channels—both of which are getting a lot of buzz as the backbone for next-gen AI clusters and new data-center designs.
Industry Validation and Technical Disclosure
Technical performance and reliability data for the SOA will show up in a paper at SPIE Photonics West on January 19. That should give the photonics community a closer look at the device’s design and real-world results.
Pradeep Srinivasan, Aeva’s Vice President of Photonics, says they’re aiming to meet industry demands for performance without compromising manufacturability or cost.
This announcement really points to Aeva’s push into high‑efficiency optical amplification as a core technology for AI infrastructure and advanced sensing systems.
For data centers and autonomous platforms, these components are bound to become even more important for scalable, reliable, and energy‑efficient performance.
Here is the source article for this story: Aeva Unveils Industry-Leading High-Power Semiconductor Optical Amplifier for AI Data Center and Physical AI Applications