GoKawiilPsiQuantum unveils low-loss silicon photonic switch for AI data center networks
PsiQuantum announced an optical circuit switch built on its silicon photonics technology, aimed at AI data center GPU networking. A lab prototype with eight inputs and outputs lost just 1.2 dB of light without needing an amplifier, compared with a typical 3 dB loss tolerance in data center optics. The device is smaller than rivals' switches, which range from 32 to 300 ports, but PsiQuantum says larger versions are in development.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Optical circuit switches avoid converting light to electrical signals at each hop, which could reduce power use and latency as AI clusters scale and GPU-to-GPU bandwidth becomes a bottleneck. PsiQuantum's lower signal loss without amplification could give it an edge over switches from Google, Lumentum, Salience Labs and iPronics if the technology can be scaled to competitive port counts. The current small prototype size suggests commercial viability depends on whether larger switches can maintain the same low-loss performance.
- PsiQuantum's 8x8 prototype switch loses only 1.2 dB of light, below the 3 dB threshold data centers typically tolerate
- The switch uses fixed silicon circuits with no moving parts, unlike MEMS-based switches from Google and Lumentum
- Competing switches offer far more ports (32-300) than PsiQuantum's current prototype, with larger devices still in development
Source: tomshardware.com — Shane Downing, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “PsiQuantum turns its photonics know-how into an optical switch for supercharging AI data center GPU networks — 8x8 lab prototype loses less light than rivals, with plans to develop larger devices”
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