Edge-guided inverse design of digital metamaterial-based mode multiplexers for high-capacity multi-dimensional optical interconnect

Aolong Sun, Sizhe Xing, Xuyu Deng, Ruoyu Shen, An Yan, Fangchen Hu, Yuqin Yuan, Boyu Dong, Junhao Zhao, Ouhan Huang, Ziwei Li, Jianyang Shi, Yingjun Zhou, Chao Shen, Yiheng Zhao, Bingzhou Hong, Wei Chu (), Junwen Zhang (), Haiwen Cai and Nan Chi ()
Additional contact information
Aolong Sun: Fudan University
Sizhe Xing: Fudan University
Xuyu Deng: Fudan University
Ruoyu Shen: Fudan University
An Yan: Fudan University
Fangchen Hu: Zhangjiang Laboratory
Yuqin Yuan: Fudan University
Boyu Dong: Fudan University
Junhao Zhao: Fudan University
Ouhan Huang: Fudan University
Ziwei Li: Fudan University
Jianyang Shi: Fudan University
Yingjun Zhou: Fudan University
Chao Shen: Fudan University
Yiheng Zhao: Zhangjiang Laboratory
Bingzhou Hong: Zhangjiang Laboratory
Wei Chu: Zhangjiang Laboratory
Junwen Zhang: Fudan University
Haiwen Cai: Zhangjiang Laboratory
Nan Chi: Fudan University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The escalating demands of compute-intensive applications urgently necessitate the adoption of optical interconnect technologies to overcome bottlenecks in scaling computing systems. This requires fully exploiting the inherent parallelism of light across scalable dimensions for data loading. Here we experimentally demonstrate a synergy of wavelength- and mode- multiplexing combined with high-order modulation formats to achieve multi-tens-of-terabits-per-second optical interconnects using foundry-compatible silicon photonic circuits. Implementing an edge-guided analog-and-digital optimization method that integrates high efficiency with fabrication robustness, we achieve the inverse design of mode multiplexers based on digital metamaterial waveguides. Furthermore, we employ a packaged five-mode multiplexing chip, achieving a single-wavelength interconnect capacity of 1.62 Tbit s−1 and a record-setting multi-dimensional interconnect capacity of 38.2 Tbit s−1 across 5 modes and 88 wavelength channels, with high-order formats up to 8-ary pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM). This study highlights the transformative potential of optical interconnect technologies to surmount the constraints of electronic links, thus setting the stage for next-generation datacenter and optical compute interconnects.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57689-7

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