Catch this deep-dive interview where Jose Pozo, CTO at Optica, sits down with our Founder and CEO, Nicholas Harris!
Lightmatter is on its way to becoming the NVIDIA of photonics and light-based AI infrastructure. Which is the only way AI truly enables the Orwelian flat interconnected world.
Join Jose and Nick as they discuss how Lightmatter is shaping the future of optical interconnects by mastering silicon photonics. Also, hear about Nick’s pragmatic approach to transforming the company’s bold vision into reality.
Harris explains why micro-ring resonators—tiny optical modulators just 10×10 µm in size—are central to Lightmatter’s architecture. These devices deliver exceptional bandwidth density and energy efficiency, but demand precise temperature control. Lightmatter’s engineers have mastered that stability, handling temperature shifts of more than 800 °C per second, a feat that keeps performance steady at scale.
Another defining move: liquid cooling. With AI chips now reaching up to two kilowatts per package and racks surpassing 600 kW, air cooling is no longer viable. Lightmatter designs its photonic platforms—like the Bobcat and M1 1000—for dense, water-cooled environments, achieving up to four times better energy efficiency than copper interconnects.
The company’s upcoming Bi-Di (Bi-directional) optical link pushes 800 Gb/s per fibre at just 2.6 pJ/bit, proving that optical interconnects can outperform copper in both speed and power.
Harris emphasises collaboration—but not with startups.
“Each new chip program costs tens of millions. We partner with large semiconductor and hyperscale companies that can invest and deliver volume.”
That said, Lightmatter is deeply engaged across the supply chain—GlobalFoundries, TSMC, Amkor Technology, Inc., and ASE Global among them—and works closely with ODMs to advance fibre management and rack design for mass deployment.