Fujitsu Optical Components, Furukawa Electric to partner for 800G integrated optical device development

The two companies also will cooperate on the sale of coherent 800G enabling devices as well as optical transceivers that use them. When will we see them?

Fujitsu Optical Components Ltd. (FOC) and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. have agreed to collaborate on the development of integrated optical devices for 800-Gbps applications. The two companies also will cooperate on the sale of such devices as well as optical transceivers that use them.

The two companies say that the demands of 800G modules will require a higher degree of integration than earlier generations to achieve reasonable size and power consumption. Such integration will need to encompass a range of functions and materials, including silicon, optical amplifiers, light sources, and compound optical semiconductors.

Toward this end, FOC will contribute its expertise in lithium niobate modulators, silicon photonics, and related areas that have led to the company’s modulator, integrated coherent receiver, and optical transceiver products (see, for example, "Fujitsu Optical Components unveils dual-carrier 400-Gbps ICR, modulator"). Furukawa will add its skills in compound optical semiconductors, including laser and amplifier chips (see, for example, "Furukawa Electric samples micro ITLA for 100G coherent transmission"). Together, the two companies believe they will be able to develop integrated devices for merchant 800G optical modules as well as optical transceivers that they will produce and sell.

The two companies are no strangers to collaboration with each other, having signed a similar agreement in 2009 (see "Fujitsu Optical Components and Furukawa Electric to jointly develop integrated receivers for 40/100G networks").

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Stephen Hardy

Aug 5th, 2021