Ayar Labs has announced the launch of the first Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) optical interconnect chiplet, capable of delivering 8 Tbps bandwidth. This development aims to enhance the performance and efficiency of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems while also minimizing latency and power consumption. The new chiplet utilizes an integrated UCIe electrical interface, facilitating the elimination of data bottlenecks and promoting compatibility with chiplets from various vendors.

The TeraPHY optical I/O chiplet, equipped with Ayar Labs’ 16-wavelength SuperNova light source, integrates seamlessly into customer chip designs. The compliance with the UCIe standard is expected to create a more cost-effective and accessible ecosystem for advanced optical technologies essential for scaling AI workloads.

“Optical interconnects are needed to solve power density challenges in scale-up AI fabrics,” said Mark Wade, CEO and co-founder of Ayar Labs. He noted the company's early recognition of the potential for co-packaged optics, which has positioned them as a contributor to the adoption of optical solutions in AI applications.

Ayar Labs is leveraging silicon photonics combined with traditional CMOS manufacturing processes to incorporate optical interconnects in a chiplet form factor. This approach enables chips such as GPUs to communicate efficiently over varying distances, similar to operating as a single unit.

The company will showcase its optical interconnect solutions at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) scheduled for March 30-April 3, 2025, where they will illustrate how these technologies can reshape system-level implementations within AI scaling architectures.

Support for this initiative comes from various industry leaders. Mark Papermaster, CTO of AMD, emphasized the importance of open and vendor-neutral chiplet ecosystems to meet AI networking challenges. Statements from representatives of Advanced Semiconductor Engineering and GlobalFoundries also reflected optimistic views on the role of UCIe optical chiplets in enhancing AI infrastructures, emphasizing the collaborative potential within the chiplet ecosystem.

As AI workloads continue to grow, Ayar Labs seeks to meet these demands with innovative optical solutions, fostering an environment of collaboration and technological advancement across the sector.