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
PsiQuantum’s eight-port optical switch typically loses 1.2 dB, under a quarter of its light, where data centers allow up to 3 dB.
PsiQuantum, a quantum computing firm, has developed an optical switch using low-loss silicon photonics technology for AI data center GPU networks. Optical switches typically lose some light, but PsiQuantum's switch loses only 1.2 dB in lab tests, which is about a quarter of the light loss typical in data center optics. The switch, which uses circuits etched on a silicon chip with no moving parts, can transfer data between GPUs at a speed of under 3 ms and is strictly non-blocking, meaning new connections never interrupt existing ones.
While the current 8x8 prototype has fewer ports than larger models from competitors, PsiQuantum is actively developing bigger devices. The switch's low insertion loss and minimal light loss make it suitable for quantum computers, which can only tolerate a certain amount of lost light. PsiQuantum's switch is designed for the O-band wavelength range used by standard plug-in optical modules, and its performance meets Nvidia's 3 dB loss target for conventional data center traffic.
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