Lucidean's Mixed Domain Coherent Technology

 

​Lucidean is developing a novel optical link technology called Mixed Domain Coherent (MDC). MDC enables a highly scalable optical fabric for next-generation networks. The references below present our MDC work and earlier foundational research.​

 

​Peer-Reviewed Publications:

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• Mixed domain coherent link with electrically reconfigurable IMDD and coherent modes for O-band data center applications, S. Misak, et al., Optics Express 2024.

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Landmark paper demonstrating the MDC link architecture, marking the first-ever demonstration of an end-to-end coherent link using IMDD DSP, and the first-ever demonstration of coherent/IMDD dual mode operation using the same hardware.

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• First Demonstration of an O-Band Coherent Link for Intra-Data Center Applications, A. Maharry, et al., JLT 2023.

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Journal article describing in depth the first-ever demonstration of a Coherent Link optimized for use inside data centers.

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• First Demonstration of an O-Band Coherent Link for Intra-Data Center Applications, A. Maharry, et al., ECOC 2022.​

 

Conference article showcasing the first-ever demonstration of a Coherent Link optimized for use inside data centers.​

 

Conference Presentations:

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• What Building-to-Building Optical Interconnect Will Enable Gigawatt Scale Training Clusters?, C. Cole, OFC 2025.

 

Training larger AI models will extend across buildings, driving the need for faster optical links over distances of several kilometers. Lucidean’s patented Mixed Domain Coherent architecture is designed to meet that need. 

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• IMDD vs Coherent, Will Datacenter be the New Battleground?, C. Cole, IEEE Summer Topicals 2020.

 

Coherent links offer higher data rates, but traditional implementations are too costly, power-hungry, and complex for data center deployment. Advancing coherent technology is essential for its adoption inside data centers.

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Prior Foundational Work Done by the Lucidean Team:

 

OPLL-based Analog Coherent Links:

• Dual-polarization O-band silicon photonics transmitter with an integrated tunable laser, Mach-Zehnder modulators, and SOAs, J. Liu, et al., Optics Express 2025.

• Low Power Analog Coherent Links for Next-Generation Datacenters, C. Schow, CLEO 2019.

• Analog Coherent Detection for Energy Efficient Intra-Data Center Links at 200 Gbps Per Wavelength, Hirokawa, et al., JLT 2020.

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Heterogeneously Integrated III-V Photonic Devices on Silicon:

• 400Gbps/λ O-Band Coherent Link Using SiP TX and RX PICs With Heterogeneously Integrated Lasers and SOAs, S. Misak, et al., JLT 2024.

• 400 Gbps/λ DP-16QAM O-band Link with SiP TX and RX PICs using only Heterogeneously Integrated Lasers and SOAs for Optical Gain, S. Misak, et al., OFC 2024.

• Integrated SOAs enable energy-efficient intra-data center coherent links, A. Maharry, et al., Optics Express 2023.

• Heterogeneously Integrated O-band SG-DBR Lasers for Short Reach Analog Coherent Links, S. Misak, et al., APC 2021.

 

Next-generation Data Center Network Architectures:

• INTREPID program: technology and architecture for next-generation, energy-efficient, hyper-scale data centers, C. Schow, et al., JOCN 2021.

• INTREPID: Developing Power Efficient Analog Coherent Interconnects to Transform Data Center Networks, C. Schow, et al., OFC 2019.

 

Monolithic Electronic-Photonic Integrated Circuits

• 50 GBaud QPSK 0.98 pJ/bit Receiver in 45 nm CMOS and 90 nm Silicon Photonics, H. Andrade, et al., ECOC 2021.

• Analysis and Monolithic Implementation of Differential Transimpedance Amplifiers, H. Andrade, et al., JLT 2020.

• Optical Transmitter Equalization With Tunable Mismatched Terminations in a Silicon Modulator, H. Andrade, et al., PTL 2022.

 

High-Speed Optoelectronic Packaging

• A PCB Packaging Platform Enabling 100+ Gbaud Optoelectronic Device Testing, A. Maharry, et al., ECTC 2021.