Coherent Showcases Optical Innovations to Scale AI Infrastructure at ECOC 2026

Coherent is using ECOC 2026 to debut PhotonLink and demonstrate AI-focused optical, thermal, and quantum networking technologies to attendees.

Rhea-AI Summary

Coherent (COHR) will showcase a broad portfolio of optical technologies for scaling AI infrastructure at ECOC 2026 in Málaga, Spain. Demonstrations at Stand 2100, Hall 2 cover AI datacenter connectivity, co-packaged and near-packaged optics, next-generation pluggable transceivers, optical transport, specialty fibers, optical circuit switching, advanced materials, and thermal management.

The company is introducing the PhotonLink™ integrated optics platform to support CPO, NPO and chip-to-chip connectivity, with further details to follow. Live demos include a 3.2T OSFP-size pluggable transceiver, a 6.4T NPO optical engine, VCSEL-based optics for AI scale-up, full C-band pluggable optical line systems, Thermadite™ and diamond-based cooling materials, and quantum networking and encryption collaborations. Coherent experts will also lead and participate in multiple ECOC Market Focus, workshops, panels, and technical sessions.

Key Figures

Transceiver capacity: 3.2T Optical lanes: 425G PAM4 Optical connectivity: 400G-per-lane +4 more

Transceiver capacity

3.2T

2xDR4 transceiver demonstration

Optical lanes

425G PAM4

Eight line-side optical lanes

Optical connectivity

400G-per-lane

Next-generation connectivity demonstration

NPO optical engine

6.4T

Near-packaged optics demonstration

DWDM wavelengths

32

Supported over a single fiber pair

Transport capacity

25.6Tbps

Across a single fiber pair

Link distance

2km to 200km

Pluggable optical line system

Key Terms

co-packaged optics, PAM4, silicon photonics, VCSEL, +1 more

5 terms

co-packaged optics technical

"innovations spanning AI datacenter connectivity, co-packaged optics (CPO)"

Co-packaged optics are optical components—lasers and fiber interfaces—physically packaged together with a network switch’s main processing chip so light-based data links sit much closer to the chip instead of traveling over long electrical traces. For investors, this matters because it can dramatically cut power use, boost data speed and density, and lower system costs in large data centers and telecom equipment, much like moving a power outlet next to a heavy appliance to avoid long, inefficient extension cords.

PAM4 technical

"eight 425G PAM4 line-side optical lanes"

PAM4 is a digital signaling method that sends information by using four distinct voltage or light levels instead of the usual two, letting each transmitted symbol carry two bits of data. Think of it like a radio knob with four clear positions instead of just on/off; it boosts transmission speed without needing extra wires or spectrum but is harder to read reliably, so it matters to investors because it drives demand for higher-performance chips, better cables and optics, and can affect product costs, margins and upgrade cycles in networking and data-center markets.

silicon photonics technical

"brings together silicon photonics, fiber attach technology"

Silicon photonics is the technology that uses tiny structures etched into silicon chips to generate, control and detect light for moving data and sensing, essentially putting optical fiber functions onto a computer chip. For investors, it matters because it can dramatically increase data speed and energy efficiency in data centers, telecom networks and advanced sensors, potentially lowering costs and enabling new products much like replacing many metal wires with faster, low-power optical highways.

VCSEL technical

"VCSEL-Based Optics for AI Scale-Up"

A VCSEL is a tiny semiconductor laser that emits light straight out of the surface of a chip, like a miniature, very precise flashlight built into an electronic component. Investors care because VCSELs are key parts in optical communication, sensors, and proximity or gesture controls—products with growing demand—so changes in VCSEL supply, cost or adoption can affect a maker’s sales, margins and the competitive position of companies that rely on them.

DWDM technical

"supports up to 32 DWDM wavelengths over a single fiber pair"

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is an optical networking technology that lets many separate data streams travel simultaneously over a single fiber by using different colors of light, like adding lanes to a highway without laying new road. For investors, DWDM matters because it enables service providers and data centers to increase capacity, cut per‑unit transmission costs, and delay expensive fiber builds, affecting revenue potential, capital spending and competitive positioning.

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SAXONBURG, Pa., Sept. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), the global leader in photonics, today announced new optical technologies and live demonstrations designed to help customers scale AI infrastructure at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) 2026 in Málaga, Spain.

At Stand 2100, Hall 2, Coherent will showcase innovations spanning AI datacenter connectivity, co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-packaged optics (NPO), next-generation pluggable transceivers, optical transport, specialty fibers, optical circuit switching, advanced materials, and thermal management addressing rising power density.

PhotonLink™, a new integrated optics platforms which brings together Coherent’s critical optical technologies and integration capabilities to support CPO, NPO and emerging chip to chip connectivity. The platform combines components and complete optical assemblies with manufacturing at scale. Additional details about PhotonLink will be announced separately.

"Scaling AI infrastructure requires more than bandwidth – it requires solving power, integration and thermal challenges together,” said Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi, Chief Marketing Officer at Coherent. "At ECOC, we are demonstrating how Coherent’s expertise across materials, components and optical systems helps customers address those challenges – from connections near compute to links between datacenters.”

FEATURED TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS

Coherent's demonstrations illustrate how its vertical integration across materials, devices, components, modules and systems supports different AI connectivity architectures including scale-across, scale-out, scale-up and chip to chip. Highlights include:

3.2T 2xDR4 Transceiver in an OSFP-Size Package
Coherent will demonstrate a compact 3.2T pluggable architecture with dual 1.6T optical paths in an OSFP-size package. The technology demonstration incorporates eight 425G PAM4 line-side optical lanes, Coherent Differential EMLs and Coherent photodiodes, highlighting progress toward next-generation 400G-per-lane optical connectivity.

6.4T NPO Optical Engine
A 6.4T NPO demonstration will showcase a compact and power-efficient optical engine for high-density AI Scale-Up and Scale-Out fabrics. The demonstration brings together silicon photonics, fiber attach technology, ELSFPs, and Coherent laser technology to illustrate the advantages of vertical integration across critical optical interfaces.

VCSEL-Based Optics for AI Scale-Up
Coherent will demonstrate high-density 2D VCSEL and photodiode arrays for highly parallel optical architectures in CPO and NPO low latency connectivity.

Full C-Band Pluggable Optical Line System
For DCI and Scale-Across applications, Coherent will showcase its LS200 full C-band pluggable optical line system for datacenter interconnect and transport applications. The compact architecture brings pluggable line-system functionality closer to the router or switch while supporting flexible point-to-point optical transport.

OPTICAL COMPONENTS, ASSEMBLIES AND MODULES

Coherent will also showcase new products and emerging technologies across its optical networking portfolio, including:

• FlexConnect
  A detachable fiber array unit connector for CPO applications designed to simplify assembly and maintenance, with repeatable plug-unplug performance, interchangeability and an epoxy-free optical path compatible with high-power lasers.
  
  
• OptiAlign
  A high-precision fiber array unit for CPO applications designed to support precise pitch control and high fiber-channel counts. Coherent combines an internally developed V-groove with customized fiber dimensions to address demanding optical alignment requirements.
  
  
• OptiFocus
  A two-in-one coupling lens design for ELS, intended to simplify optical assembly while providing high coupling efficiency.
  
  
• FiberPack
  A passive fiber assembly kit for scale-up and scale-out architectures that integrates fiber attach, micro-lens, tray, and termination technologies, drawing on Coherent’s vertically integrated optical-components manufacturing.
  
  
• OptiPolar Array X
  A multi-channel Polarization Beam Splitter Array in a super-compact form factor based on glass material optimized for multi-lane systems.
  
  
• 2D micro-VCSEL and PD array
  High Density 2D Array of individually addressable emitters and PD array with integrated lenses designed for flip chip bonding in NPO or CPO architectures.
  
  
• Specialty Fibers
  Tight geometry-controlled Polarization Maintaining Fiber; Mode-Matched Fiber for improved coupling efficiency into edge-coupled silicon photonics; and multi-core fiber for high-density AI datacenter solutions.

• Ultra-High-Power (UHP) CW laser
  Enabled by a proprietary design and advanced manufacturing processes, this ultra-high-power continuous-wave (CW) laser delivers high spectral stability, narrow linewidth, and low relative intensity noise (RIN) across its full operating range.

• Pluggable Optical Line System (POLS)
  A full C-band optical line system with a high-power, variable-gain amplifier in a compact QSFP form factor. Designed for 800G ZR/ZR+ digital coherent optics, it supports up to 32 DWDM wavelengths over a single fiber pair, carrying up to 25.6Tbps across links from 2km to 200km.

THERMAL MANAGEMENT FOR HIGH DENSITY AI INFRASTRUCTURE

Coherent will also showcase Thermadite™ materials, diamond-based solutions and other advanced materials and components designed to address the growing power density and cooling requirements of AI infrastructure.

PARTNER AND QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS

Coherent will participate in OIF interoperability and, separately, demonstrate quantum technologies for networking and encryption applications with industry partners.

With Quside, Coherent will demonstrate quantum random number generation for encryption applications using live quantum entropy alongside Coherent optical connectivity. With CUbIQ, Coherent will participate in a quantum key distribution demonstration in a compact pluggable architecture.

INDUSTRY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AT ECOC 2026

Coherent executives and technology experts will contribute to Market Focus sessions and the ECOC technical program, covering AI datacenter infrastructure, CPO, optical interconnect scaling, advanced materials, coherent-lite optics and satellite connectivity.

MARKET FOCUS

Monday, September 21, 2026

Cooling Smarter: How Advanced Materials Unlock Datacenter Efficiency
Speaker: Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi
11:40 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.

Panel: Modules and Subsystems
Co-Chair: Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Beyond 1.6T: Enabling AI Datacenter Scale with Coherent-Lite Optics
Speaker: Shawn Esser
3:20 p.m. - 3:35 p.m.

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Scaling the Optical Future: Technologies Enabling Scale-Up, Scale-Out, and Scale-Across AI Infrastructure
Speaker: Dr. Julie Sheridan Eng
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Co-Packaged Optics: From Industry Promise to Reality
Speaker: Justin Abbott
11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Fireside Chat on the Increasing Role of Photonics in Next-Generation AI/ML Interconnects
Speaker: Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa
1:00 p.m. - 1:55 p.m.

Panel: Realistic Check of AI Interconnect Scaling Solutions for the Post-1.6T Era
Panelist: Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Scaling Ground Station Connectivity for Satellite Constellations
Speaker: Jessica Wang
10:20 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.

ECOC CONFERENCE

Sunday, September 20, 2026

Workshop: “Light Sources for Next-Generation Optical Communication Systems for AI Datacenters”
Organizer: Dr. Wilfried Maineult
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Workshop: “Hybrid Solutions for Very High Speed PON – the best (or worst) of coherent and IMDD worlds”
Speaker: Dr. Noriaki Kaneda
2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Workshop: “Can Fast Narrow Channels Keep Rising Without Limit or Will Slow and Wide Become the Winner?”
Speaker: Dr. Chris Kocot
4:30 p.m. - 4:42 p.m.

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Poster Presentation: “PAM4 448 Gb/s per Lane InP MZM-SOA Array PIC for Next-Generation CPO”
Speaker: Dr. Anna Tatarczak
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Public Presentation: “2.3 Tbit/s Backside-Emitting 1060 nm VCSEL Array on Silicon Interposer for CPO Applications”
Speaker: Dr. Marc Ganzhorn
5:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Technical Session: “Novel Modulators: Discrete Photonic Devices and Technologies”
Chair: Dr. Wilfried Maineult
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Visitors to ECOC 2026 can experience Coherent's latest optical networking technologies and meet with company experts at Stand 2100, Hall 2, at FYCMA - Trade Fair & Congress Center in Málaga, September 21-23, to explore the demonstrations and discuss optical connectivity and break-through technologies.

For more information, visit www.coherent.com.

About Coherent 
Coherent is the global photonics leader. We harness photons to drive innovation. Industry leaders in the datacenter, communications, and industrial markets rely on Coherent’s world-leading technology to fuel their own innovation and growth. Founded in 1971 and operating in more than 20 countries, Coherent brings the industry’s broadest, deepest technology stack; unmatched supply chain resilience; and global scale to help its customers solve their toughest technology challenges.

Media Contact:
innovations@coherent.com 

FAQ

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Where and when can visitors see Coherent’s demonstrations at ECOC 2026?

Visitors can experience Coherent’s optical networking technologies at Stand 2100, Hall 2 at FYCMA - Trade Fair & Congress Center in Málaga from September 21–23, 2026.

What is Coherent’s new PhotonLink™ platform?

PhotonLink™ is described as an integrated optics platform that combines Coherent’s optical technologies and integration capabilities to support CPO, NPO and emerging chip-to-chip connectivity, bringing together components and complete optical assemblies with manufacturing at scale. Additional details are expected to be announced separately.

Which key optical hardware demonstrations focused on AI connectivity will Coherent show?

Coherent plans to demonstrate a 3.2T 2xDR4 transceiver in an OSFP-size package with eight 425G PAM4 lanes, a 6.4T NPO optical engine for high-density AI fabrics, VCSEL-based 2D arrays for CPO/NPO low-latency architectures, and full C-band pluggable optical line systems for datacenter interconnect and transport.

What new optical components and assemblies related to CPO/NPO will be highlighted?

Showcased items include FlexConnect detachable fiber array connector, OptiAlign high-precision fiber array unit, OptiFocus two-in-one coupling lens, FiberPack passive fiber assembly kit, OptiPolar Array X polarization beam splitter array, 2D micro-VCSEL and PD arrays with integrated lenses, and several specialty fibers such as polarization-maintaining, mode-matched, and multi-core fibers.

How is Coherent addressing thermal management for AI infrastructure at ECOC 2026?

Coherent will display Thermadite™ materials, diamond-based solutions, and other advanced materials and components that are intended to handle increasing power density and cooling requirements in AI infrastructure.

What quantum networking and encryption collaborations will be demonstrated?

With Quside, Coherent will demonstrate quantum random number generation using live quantum entropy alongside Coherent optical connectivity. With CUbIQ, Coherent will participate in a quantum key distribution demonstration in a compact pluggable architecture.

Which ECOC 2026 technical and Market Focus sessions will feature Coherent experts?

Coherent executives and experts will contribute to Market Focus and ECOC conference sessions and workshops on topics such as cooling and advanced materials, beyond-1.6T coherent-lite optics, AI infrastructure scale-up/scale-out/scale-across, co-packaged optics, photonics for AI/ML interconnects, PON, narrow-channel scaling, and novel modulators. Named participants include Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi, Shawn Esser, Dr. Julie Sheridan Eng, Justin Abbott, Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa, Dr. Wilfried Maineult, Dr. Noriaki Kaneda, Dr. Chris Kocot, Dr. Anna Tatarczak, and Dr. Marc Ganzhorn, across specific talks, panels, workshops, and technical sessions.