Coherent Corp. just announced a big leap in laser tech for high-speed optical communications. The company’s now sampling its new 400 mW continuous-wave (CW) lasers, built for co-packaged optics (CPO) and silicon photonics applications.
These devices tackle some of the toughest challenges in building next-gen optical interconnects. They stand out for stability, spectral purity, and noise reduction.
Coherent’s innovation leans on decades of hands-on experience and a reliable laser platform. Large-scale manufacturing is on the horizon, aiming to keep up with the rising global demand.
Breakthrough Performance in Optical Interconnects
High-speed optical interconnects keep modern data centers and telecom infrastructure running. Coherent’s new CW lasers deliver consistent output power above 400 mW at operating temperatures up to 55°C.
This kind of reliability matters, especially in tough environments. The lasers also keep spectral linewidths under 200 kHz, which means tighter signal coherence and less dispersion.
Key Technical Specifications
These lasers hit a relative intensity noise (RIN) below -145 dB/Hz. That’s huge for keeping signal transmission clean across long distances.
With a wavelength of 1311 nm, they bring together high power, accuracy, and low noise. Everything’s packed into a compact chip-on-carrier format, making them easy to integrate into advanced photonic systems.
- Output power: Stable above 400 mW at 55°C
- Spectral linewidth: Less than 200 kHz
- Relative intensity noise: Below -145 dB/Hz
- Wavelength: 1311 nm
- Platform: Buried-Heterostructure Distributed-Feedback (BH DFB)
Innovative BH DFB Laser Platform
Coherent’s Buried-Heterostructure Distributed-Feedback laser platform sits at the core of this development. It’s a tried-and-true tech, known for both high performance and reliability.
This architecture gives strong optical confinement and precise wavelength control. Low threshold currents make it a smart choice for high-volume deployment in CPO and silicon photonics.
Addressing Critical Challenges
Maintaining high output power with minimal noise across a wide temperature range is a real headache in optical interconnect design. Coherent’s advanced BH DFB platform helps keep performance steady, even when things get hot or unpredictable.
This approach opens the door for better scalability and efficiency in high-speed networks.
Scaling Up for Global Demand
Alongside these tech breakthroughs, Coherent’s ramping up production. The new 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) fabrication facility in Sherman, Texas will boost output capacity more than fivefold.
This expansion aims to keep up with the fast-growing worldwide demand for InP lasers in telecom, data centers, and more.
Timeline and Availability
Engineering samples of the lasers are already in the hands of select customers. Early adopters can see how they perform in real-world setups.
Coherent expects volume production to kick off in Q3 2026. That timing could put them in a strong spot for the next wave of global optical networking upgrades.
Showcasing the Technology
Coherent plans to spotlight this laser innovation at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) 2025, Booth C3124. They’ll show it off alongside their broader photonics lineup.
Industry leaders and researchers will get a firsthand look at how these new CW lasers might shake up optical interconnect architecture—maybe even sooner than folks expect.
A Step Toward the Future of Photonics
Coherent’s latest CW lasers pack high output power and ultra-low noise into a design that scales up for manufacturing. That mix could turn them into a cornerstone for co-packaged optics and silicon photonics.
Data rates keep climbing, and networks just keep getting more complicated. At this point, real innovation isn’t just nice to have—it’s flat-out necessary.
Engineers and system designers now get a shot at pushing optical communication performance even further. These lasers might help cut system costs and get new solutions out the door faster.
Here is the source article for this story: Coherent Samples Low-Noise 400 mW CW Lasers for Co-Packaged Optics and Silicon Photonics