CSTAR Silicon Photonics

Optical front ends for coherent optics powered by silicon photonic integrated circuits

How Silicon Photonics enable the next generation of coherent transceivers

Our CSTAR™ silicon photonic (SiPh) optical front-ends are a family of highly-integrated solutions for use in both pluggable and embedded digital coherent optics (DCO) transceiver modules. Our CSTAR SiPh are used to power our family of Photonic Service Engine (PSE) optics, including both our PSE-V family and our PSE-6 family of super-coherent optics and PSE pluggable coherent optics. Nokia’s CSTAR SiPh optics are also available for third-party integration into both pluggable and embedded DCO applications.

Our Silicon Photonics provide a revolutionary technology platform to enable large-scale integration and scaling of a wide range of optical functions — similar to how electronic ASIC integration has increased exponentially over the past 40 years.

Silicon photonics benefit from leveraging the same advanced capabilities of electronic ASIC fabrication facilities. They create highly integrated photonic circuits and devices with world-leading performance. They also enjoy faster development and manufacturing timelines than is possible with traditional optical materials technologies.

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Silicon photonics enable complex opto-electronic functions using well-established silicon foundry processes

Silicon Photonics CSTAR optics are used either as stand-alone COSA modules or in integrated multi-chip modules. They provide the optical front end for coherent transceivers.

PSE 100G/400G/800G pluggable coherent optics deliver electro-optic integrated modules in standardized pluggable QSFP and CFP2 form factors.

PSE-6 super-coherent 130Gbaud DCOs deliver record scale and performance in real-world optical networks, and have demonstrated 800Gb/s single wavelength transport over trans-oceanic distances subsea links.

Benefits and features

Our Silicon Photonics are used to power our range of CSTAR optics modules, which are then integrated with application-optimized coherent DSPs to implement sophisticated coherent modem and signal processing algorithms that optimize for maximum performance and lowest power.

Silicon Photonics integrate the complex optical, opto-electronic and electronic functions needed in a coherent transceiver, otherwise unachievable using discrete devices. The co-design, co-packaging and multi-chip integration of silicon photonic integrated circuits (SiP ICs), mixed-signal RF integrated circuits (RFICs), and coherent DSPs enables the high-performance, high density, low power consumption, and low cost needed for high data rate transceivers operating at speeds of 400Gb/s, 800Gb/s, 1.2Tb/s and beyond.

Products

CSTAR SiPh Optical Transmitter/Receiver Optics

CSTAR™-200+

The CSTAR™-200+ is a small form factor, BGA packaged Silicon Photonics COSA transmitter and receiver for use in 100G/200G DCOs operating up to 34Gbaud. The CSTAR-200+ is designed with high density and low power to enable integration into QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2 pluggable form factors for use in 5G fronthaul, access, metro, regional and long-haul applications, or as a COSA module for use in 100/200G coherent on-board optics.

CSTAR™-400

CSTAR™-400 is a next-generation, small form factor BGA packaged, DSP-agnostic Silicon Photonics COSA transmitter and receiver operating up to 69Gbaud and optimized for use in 400G DCOs. The CSTAR-400 is designed with high density and low power to enable integration into QSFP-DD, OSFP and CFP2 pluggable form factors. CSTAR-400 is ideally suited for high-capacity pluggable optics applications such as data center interconnect (DCI) and metro, regional and long-haul transport applications, and for integration into third-party 400G DCO modules.