Keysight and Coherent unveil 200G multimode VCSEL technology at OFC 2025

Keysight Technologies and Coherent Corp. collaborated on a 200G multimode technology demonstration, set to be featured at OFC. This new vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology offers 200 Gbps per lane, effectively doubling the data throughput of current multimode interconnects. Designed to meet the increasing demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in data center, this technology is positioned to reduce power consumption and capital expenses associated with short-reach data interconnects.

The 200G multimode VCSEL technology provides several advantages over single-mode transmission, including:

• Increased bandwidth, enhancing data throughput.
• Greater power efficiency, which reduces operational costs.
• Lower manufacturing costs compared to single-mode solutions.
• Compatibility with necessary network architecture for AI data sharing.

The demonstration features Keysight’s wideband multimode sampling oscilloscope technology and the Coherent 200G multimode VCSEL. Lee Xu from Coherent noted the reliance on Keysight’s testing solutions to validate their transceiver designs. Disaster Recovery (DR). Joachim Peerlings from Keysight emphasized the progress toward commercializing 200G multimode technology and its benefits for the industry's infrastructure deployment related to AI and ML.

Attendees can visit Keysight's booth at OFC from April 1-3 for live demonstrations of this technology.