Monolithic silicon photonic multiplexer, transceiver, and processor for 4 × 196 Gbps/ λ multidimensional inter-chip communication

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates significant improvements in optical interconnects that offer higher capacity, lower power consumption, and minimal latency. In this study, we present a multidimensional inter-chip optical interconnect that employs polarization and mode division multiplexing techniques. We achieve per-wavelength data rates of up to 4×126 Gbps with NRZ-OOK and 4×196 Gbps with PAM-4 through the monolithic integration of high-speed GeSi electro-absorption modulators, grating-based (de)multiplexers, and a reconfigurable optical MIMO signal processor. By optically compensating for polarization rotation and mode mixing within a two-mode few-mode fiber connecting two photonic chips, we obtain inter-channel crosstalk levels below −20 dB . The optical MIMO processor exhibits an estimated thermal tuning energy of 0.14 pJ/bit and an estimated optical propagation latency of 0.14 ns. Furthermore, our system demonstrates transparency to modulation formats and symbol rates, effectively supporting both high-speed NRZ-OOK and PAM-4 transmission. These findings provide a promising pathway for the development of high-capacity, energy-efficient, and low-latency optical interconnects, essential for the next generation of AI and data center infrastructures.