Fiber Arrays: The Optical Bridge Linking CPO, Silicon Photonics and AI Supercomputing

I.Core Definition of FA Fiber Arrays

A fiber array (FA) is a standardized fiber assembly fabricated by arranging, fixing and polishing the end faces of multiple optical fibers on a high-precision V-groove substrate at fixed pitches (e.g., 250 μm). It acts as a collective transmission channel for optical signals, integrating numerous single-lane optical fibers into a multi-lane high-speed optical highway.

II.Core Functions

1. Enable efficient optical coupling of photonic devices (e.g., interconnection with optical modules and wavelength division multiplexers)

2. Reduce alignment errors from single-fiber mating and enhance communication stability

3. Deliver standardized interfaces to lower mass production barriers

III.Fiber Arrays: The Indispensable Optical Bridge for CPO, Silicon Photonics and AI Supercomputing

As the parameter scale of large AI models expands to trillions and supercomputing centers race toward Exascale (10¹⁸ operations per second) and Zettascale (10²¹ operations per second) computing power, data transmission capacity has become a core bottleneck restricting computing performance breakthroughs. Conventional electrical signal transmission suffers from limited bandwidth and excessive energy consumption, making it unable to meet the demand for instantaneous mass data flow in supercomputing facilities. Against this backdrop, the coordinated development of Co-packaged Optics (CPO) and silicon photonics has opened a new track of optical interconnection for computing infrastructure — and fiber arrays serve as the critical optical bridge connecting these two technologies to power AI supercomputing.

Ⅳ.FA Product Portfolio from Hirundo optics Inc

Customized FA solutions deliver layered support for full-scenario data center networking, fully compatible with all-rate optical modules. Optical module selection varies across use cases from general cloud computing rooms to AI supercomputing hubs, and tailor-made FA designs precisely match end-to-end transmission requirements, covering three core application scenarios: short-reach leaf-spine interconnection, medium-to-long-range inter-room interconnection, and chip-scale packaging for CPO.

                        1.400G/800G Parallel Optical Modules: MT-FA as Standard for SR/DR Series

General cloud data centers mainly deploy 400G and 800G SR8/DR8 parallel optical modules, which rely on MT-type FAs to realize 8-channel parallel transmit-receive. Each channel carries 100G PAM4 signals with insertion loss controlled below 0.35 dB, return loss ≥ 60 dB, and channel uniformity deviation under 0.2 dB. When running 24/7 at full load, the bit error rate drops to as low as 10⁻¹², ensuring lossless data transmission for massive virtual machines and cloud storage. Compared with discrete fiber assembly, optical modules equipped with standardized FAs achieve higher mass production yields and cut manual assembly costs by over 30%, well-suited for large-scale bulk procurement by cloud vendors.

2.Next-Generation 1.6T Silicon Photonics / CPO Optical Modules: Custom FAs Unlock New Integration Potential

1.6T will be the primary interconnection specification for next-generation AI computing clusters. CPO integrates optical engines and ASIC chips on the same substrate, shortening optoelectronic transmission paths and drastically reducing power consumption. Detachable D-FAU fiber arrays and integrated coupling FCFA arrays are essential supporting components for CPO commercialization. Custom ultra-thin FAs directly couple with silicon photonic waveguides and eliminate intermediate transfer optical paths, cutting overall module power consumption by 15% to 40%. The detachable design breaks the one-time packaging limitation of traditional FAs: optical engine maintenance and module upgrades do not require full disassembly, substantially lowering operation and maintenance costs for data centers. These products have already been mass-deployed in optical module projects supporting AI intelligent computing switches of leading manufacturers.

3.Medium-to-Long-Range WDM Optical Modules: WA-Type FAs Empower Wavelength Division Multiplexing

For FR/LR series wavelength division multiplexing optical modules used in cross-data-center and inter-city interconnections, dedicated WDM-FAs work with Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWGs) to realize multi-wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing. A single component integrates multiple wavelength optical paths to deliver ultra-large bandwidth long-distance transmission with fewer optical fibers, helping telecom operators reduce capital expenditure on backbone fiber deployment and supporting cross-regional computing resource scheduling.

Ⅴ.Upgrade Computing Infrastructure First: Precision Fiber Arrays from Hirundo High Photonics

We specialize in supporting 400G/800G/1.6T optical modules for data centers, offering full-spectrum customizable fiber array solutions:

 · Micron-level precision V-groove manufacturing, flexible customization of 1 to 64 multi-channel designs with tightly controlled pitch tolerances for drastically improved coupling yields

· Multiple end-face polishing angles (0°/8°/42.5°/45°) perfectly matched with SR/DR parallel and high-speed silicon photonic optical modules, featuring low insertion loss and excellent channel consistency

· Self-developed detachable CPO-specific FAs and polarization-maintaining special FAs, compatible with innovative co-packaged optics architectures to advance new-generation optical interconnection for AI intelligent computing centers.