Ciena, HyperLight, and McGill University have achieved the industry’s first 3.2Tbps O-band IMDD transmission using eight 448Gbps lanes over a 2km distance—setting a new benchmark for intra-data center connectivity. The demonstration, conducted at McGill University, utilized Ciena’s 224 GBaud DACs and HyperLight’s high-bandwidth thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) modulators, proving that existing fiber infrastructure can support next-generation speeds for AI and hyperscale data center environments.
The team successfully transmitted 3.2Tbps over both DR8 and FR8 configurations using PAM4 signaling at 224 GBaud. In addition to achieving clean 448Gbps per-lane eye diagrams with pre-FEC BER under 6.1E-4, the setup also demonstrated 4.2Tbps using PAM8. The experiment leveraged a 3nm CMOS-based DAC, integrated modulator chips from HyperLight, and Keysight’s high-speed real-time oscilloscope. This breakthrough shows how integrated photonics and advanced CMOS technologies can reduce system power and complexity while meeting hyperscaler demands for longer reach and higher bandwidth.
This result lays the groundwork for commercial 400G+ per-lane optics, enabling scalable, energy-efficient data center interconnects. It highlights a viable upgrade path for 3.2T and 6.4T transceivers in future AI and cloud computing architectures without requiring a full overhaul of existing infrastructure.
• Achieved 3.2Tbps (8×448Gbps) transmission over 2km O-band fiber using IMDD and PAM4 signaling.
• Utilized Ciena’s 224 GBaud DAC and HyperLight’s TFLN modulators (140 GHz bandwidth).
• Demonstrated performance for DR8 (500m/2km parallel fiber) and FR8 (2km CWDM) configurations.
• Achieved pre-FEC BER < 6.1E-4 and clean PAM4 eyes at 224 GBaud.
• Demonstration included 3nm CMOS DACs, integrated modulator chips, and 113 GHz Keysight UXR oscilloscope.
“We are laying the foundation for accelerating the 448G ecosystem, demonstrating the immense potential at 400G,” said Joe Shapiro, Vice President, Product Line Management, Ciena.
