Realising the promise of PICs

Chris Maloney, Managing Director of US Operations & Director of Business Development at VPIphotonics, discusses how photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have become an enabling technology in the rapid expansion of data centre connectivity due to their lower cost, lower power consumption, small footprint, and high-speed performance. One of the main challenges of using PICs for data applications is the design complexity associated with their integration into a fiber-optic communication system. Chris explains why the photonic design process is so critical, as well as offering advice to those seeking to develop PIC-based solutions for the dynamic data centre market.