As the silicon photon competition is accelerating, Chinese researchers have developed early light-based chips. According to the report of the Chinese official media "Global Times", researchers at the University of China have developed a "silicon photon integrated high-level analog multiplier chip", which is, in other words, a data multiplexer that transmits instructions with light rather than electricity.
Data multiplexer is an exchange element that can receive multiple inputs and output them all the way through a single, and is often used to select data sources from multiple memory chips. According to the tests from the Redean University, the transmission speed of this silicon photonic multiplexer is as high as 38 Tbps, and theoretically it can send 4.75 megabits of large language model (LLM) parameters per second. The key to its chip is that it can transmit data and instructions through light, becoming a new member of the photonic chip generation. Currently, the University of Fudan University has contributed the research to Nature.
Another major technological breakthrough of this multiplexer is that it can connect two types of data transmission languages: photons and electronics. Since memory communications usually relies on CMOS technology, this new chip can effectively integrate optical transmission and CMOS architecture in a low-latency manner.
In fact, integrating optics and electronic components is still challenging because most of today's communications rely on CMOS technology. According to telecom industry observer Ma Hua, this new technology is based on photon-connection methods, which significantly reduces transmission delays and improves efficiency.
Ma Ruihua pointed out that the high-level analog multi-working technology of the chip greatly improves transmission efficiency, and is better than traditional single-mode systems, which responds to the increasing demand for high-speed and high-flow data transmission in AI applications. This breakthrough improves frequency width and transmission speed, providing strong support for next-generation networks. The new technology is expected to significantly enhance China's AI training efficiency, improve energy use efficiency and business potential in the future. "A major breakthrough in application may be realized in three to five years."
(Source: Chinese media)
Currently, many top enterprise applications have adopted photonic network switches to transmit at speeds up to 400 Tb/s AI, such as the NVIDIA Spectrum-X Photonics switch. Many new companies are also investing heavily, such as the photonic chip interconnection platform launched by Lightmatter and the news that another new Enosemi was merged by AMD, have brought shocking news to the industry.
Judging from the efforts invested by China, the country has the opportunity to surpass the United States in photon technology. It is reported that the production of Chinese research institutions in the field of chip technology in the Postmore era has exceeded that of the United States, and has accounted for the most cited research results, with special emphasis on the photon field. In other words, China has prepared a "track replacement supercar" and may overturn the US semiconductor technology dominance within ten years.
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