SAXONBURG, PA, September 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), aglobal leader in photonics, today announced a breakthrough in short-reach optical interconnecttechnology with the demonstration of its next-generation 2D VCSEL and photodiode (PD) arrays.Best suited for “slow and wide” interconnections in scale-up AI networks, these arrays enable power-efficient and compact links optimized for short reach, addressing the surging data traffic demands inmodern datacenters.

Leveraging its proven 100G PAM4 multimode VCSEL and PD platform, Coherent has introduced ahigh-density 2D array architecture (1.6T, 850 nm, 32x50G NRZ) that enables copper link replacementand optimal degree of parallelism. With advantages in low power consumption, reduced latency, andcost efficiency, these arrays are designed to support the transition to Near-Packaged Optics (NPO)and Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), accelerating the deployment of AI/ML workloads in hyperscale datacenters.

“We are continuously anticipating the needs of next-generation datacenter interconnects. Our high-density multimode 2D VCSEL and PD arrays represent an important step forward in enablingparallelism, power-efficient design, and flexible architectures that will shape the future of AI andmachine learning networks,” said Karlheinz Gulden, Senior Vice President, Laser and Subsystems atCoherent.
As an initial step toward enabling high-performance AI/ML scale-up links, Coherent will introduce1060 nm backside-emitting (BSE) flip-chip VCSEL/PD array variants in 2026, expanding its productportfolio for next-generation optical networking. Attendees can experience this innovation firsthandat ECOC 2025, Booth C3124 in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 29 – October 1, 2025.