SPIE Photonics West
Title: Photonic-Enabled Heterogeneous Integration: The Future of AI System Scaling
Presenter: CEO & Founder Nick Harris
Abstract: The exponential growth of artificial intelligence and the slowing of Moore’s Law demand a new paradigm for system performance and efficiency. 3D photonic integration of heterogeneous technologies provides a cornerstone for a transformative roadmap that addresses the critical communication bottlenecks that will drive AI innovation.
Lightmatter’s photonic interconnects, using an “edgeless I/O” silicon design, unlocks massive scale-up bandwidth for system-in-package architectures. By facilitating direct, high-density, low-latency optical connections between co-packaged silicon, these AI systems can become significantly more powerful and efficient. Key advancements in silicon photonics, 3D packaging, and high-density laser integration enable this transformation. The fusion of these technologies forges the path toward breakthrough power efficiencies and terabit-per-second-per-millimeter connectivity, building the next generation of AI infrastructure.
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Time: 10:15 AM
Panel: Powering the Next Wave of Data Infrastructure with Co-Packaged Optics
Moderator: Martin Vallo, Senior Market and Technology Analyst, Yole Group (France)
Panelists:
• Darius Bunandar, Chief Scientist, Lightmatter (United States)
• Tzu Hao Chow, Business Development Manager, Broadcom, Optical Systems Division (United States)
• Sanjai Parthasarathi, Chief Marketing Officer, Coherent Corp. (United States)
Co-packaged optics (CPO) is emerging as a transformative technology for the next generation of high-performance data centers, enabling greater bandwidth density, lower power consumption, and improved scalability. This session will explore the key role of silicon photonics as the foundational enabler of CPO and examine how application trends in AI-driven data center network architectures are accelerating adoption. We will assess technology’s readiness and time-to-market, mapping its position in the evolving optical interconnect landscape.
From an industry perspective, the session will outline the CPO ecosystem, identify the stakeholders most likely to benefit from this disruptive approach, and analyze the competitive dynamics shaping the market. Market insights will include forecasts, scale-out versus scale-up deployment strategies, and a forward-looking roadmap for datacom optical technologies. We will also evaluate the competitive landscape and future opportunities, equipping industry professionals and technology investors with the context needed to assess CPO’s potential impact on the datacom value chain.
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM
About SPIE Photonics West:
SPIE Photonics West is the premier event for lasers, biomedical optics, optoelectronics, and technologies supporting biophotonic, quantum, and vision applications.
Learn more about our solutions:
Passage L200 3D CPO (co-packaged optics) Passage M1000 Superchip (active photonic interposer)