OFC 2026
Optica Executive Forum at OFC 2026
Location: JW Marriott Los Angeles LA Live
Presenter: Nick Harris, CEO, on “Breakthrough Technology” panel
Date: March 16, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
About Optica Executive Forum
Annual event for leaders in optical networking and communications featuring C-level panelists in an informal, uncensored setting discussing the latest issues facing the industry. Leaders from top companies will discuss critical technology advancements and business opportunities that will shape the network in 2026 and the future.
OFC 26
Technical Conference: March 15 – 19, 2026
Exhibition: March 17 – 19, 2026
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center | Los Angeles, California, United States
Booth: 4817
Career Fair Booth: 106
Find Lightmatter on Exhibit Floor Map
Presentations
Title: 9dB link margin gain using a Quantum Dot SOA in an 8-wavelength DWDM 50Gbps NRZ CPO link
Presenter: Alexander Sludds, Staff Photonics Architect
Abstract: Co-packaged optics (CPO) using O-band IMDD silicon photonics (SiPh) is becoming critical for datacenters and high-performance computing. DWDM optical engines with microring modulators (MRMs) transmit moderate-baud NRZ signals with compact footprints and high energy efficiency. As transmitted optical power increases due to increased data-rates and wavelength count effects such as nonlinear absorption and modulator photocurrent can worsen. In this work, optical amplification with semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are analyzed as a way to mitigate these penalties, improve link margin, and enhance overall link energy efficiency. A quantum dot SOA is placed into a 8λ × 50Gbit/s x 400 GHz spaced DWDM CPO link and a 9dB reduction in transmitter power to hit the same BER is observed. The overall link power penalty of the SOA is quantified to be 2dB. This work shows a path to obtain more than an order of magnitude improvement in link margin for DWDM CPO links.
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM
Title: 16-Wavelength 800-Gbps Bidirectional Link Over Single-Mode Fiber Using Microring Transceivers
Presenter: Nikhil Kumar, Senior Director, Photonics Engineering
Abstract: We report the first 16-wavelength bidirectional link with an aggregate data rate of 800Gbps in a single optical fiber using XSR SerDes. The microring-based transceiver shows robust performance over polarization and temperature aggression.
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026
Time: 5:15 PM
Title: Future Photonics for AI: From PICs to Pods to Factories
Presenter: Bob Turner, SVP, Sales & Solution Architecture
Abstract: This updated panel from last year’s OFC50 hit discussion on “Lighting the Path to Exascale AI,” will delve into the optical technologies and market dynamics that are essential for next-generation AI data center infrastructure. The race to exascale AI and beyond is driving a fundamental shift in how AI factory building blocks are designed and operated, with photonics as a critical enabler. The future of optical communication must address some of the most pressing hurdles and bottlenecks, moving beyond traditional electronic interconnects. The Open Compute Project proudly brings together a panel of leading experts in the field to discuss the practical realities and future direction of revolutionizing data movement—from photonic integrated circuits (PICs), to scale-up AI pods to scale-out AI factories. We will examine the most recent breakthroughs in silicon photonics, the rise of linear and co-packaged optics (CPO), and advanced optical interconnects such as in optical circuit switching (OCS), emphasizing the technical and market impact on solving complex data transfer challenges in AI training and inference. The discussion will also highlight the increasing importance of these technologies in enabling next-generation AI accelerators and memory hierarchies.
Date: Tuesday, March 17
Time: 4:00 PM
Title: Universal Photonic Artificial Intelligence Acceleration
Presenter: Darius Bunandar, Founder, Chief Scientist
Abstract: We introduce a photonic AI processor capable of executing advanced models—ResNet, BERT, and reinforcement learning—with near-electronic precision. The processor integrates six chips and achieves 65.5 TFLOPS, marking an essential step toward post-transistor computing.
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM
Yole Group Market Briefing: Scaling Datacom Optical Technologies for Next Generation Networks
Location: E-Central Downtown Los Angeles Hotel
Presenter: Nikhil Kumar, Senior Director, Photonics Engineering
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time: 11am–1pm
About OFC:
OFC’s technical conference has something for everyone. From interactive workshops to symposia, from special sessions to tutorials. OFC offers an array of industry discussions around hot topics like generative AI and ML for optical networking, subsea networks, data center architectures, space optics, quantum communications and more.
Learn more about our solutions:
Passage L200 3D CPO (co-packaged optics) Passage M1000 Superchip (active photonic interposer)