Introduction: We had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Fang Xusheng, Founder and CEO of Elite Photonics Technologies, to learn about the company and the progress of the silicon-based optoelectronic industry.

On September 18, 2023, China Fiber Online (CFOL) News reported that Elite Photonics Technologies has made its debut at CIOE 2023 with its silicon photonic chips and optical engine series.

Beijing Elite Photonics Technologies Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the design of next generation silicon-based optoelectronic integrated circuits. The company has an excellent team of international experts in the field of silicon optoelectronics and has established a complete supply chain for its silicon photonics chip production, which includes design, foundry, packaging and testing. The company is committed to promote the development of domestic silicon photonics industry and becoming an innovative leader in the field.

As far as we know, the company has already completed the engineering runs of the 400G DR4 and FR4 series products and their products are currently validated by the mainstream optical module manufacturer and has secured small volume product sales. We have the privilege of interviewing Mr. Fang Xusheng, Founder and CEO of Elite Photonics Technologies, to understand the company's situation and the progress of the silicon-based optoelectronic industry.

Q1: What are the main products that Elite Photonics Technologies is showcasing for the first time at CIOE, and who are the target customers? What are the product features and advantages?

Our current focus is on launching products including 400G DR4, FR4, 800G DR8, and FR8 silicon photonic chips and engines. Our main target customers are optical module manufacturers, server manufacturers, and network switch manufacturers. The unique feature of our products is not only the technology breakthrough in silicon photonics but also our expertise in the entire industry ecosystem. Currently, our yield has exceeded 80%, and we can deliver products to customers in as short as three months.

Q2: Optical communication is a highly competitive industry. How do you view the current competition in the silicon photonics product market?

Currently, silicon photonic products are seen as replacements for EML (Electro-absorption Modulated Laser) products. Silicon photonics is expected to capture more than 50% of the entire optical module market from 2022 to 2028. Silicon photonics will become the mainstream technology for optical modules, including solutions like thin-film lithium niobate (TF-LiNbO3). Other solutions will also leverage on the silicon photonics platform, making it the dominating technology in the market for optical modules.

Q3: What are the unique advantages, challenges, and development plans of Elite Photonics Technologies in the next 3-5 years?

Elite Photonics Technologies' advantages lie in the fact that we have assembled outstanding talents in optics, electronics, and microelectronics, and we have a corresponding industry ecosystem that allows us to deliver products quickly. Our current focus is on 400G/800G, and in the future, we will continue our efforts in the single-wavelength 200G solution and narrow linewidth tunable lasers, all based on our silicon photonic process platform. Through our mature industry ecosystem and short delivery time, we aim to capture as much market space in the future. I firmly believe that in the next 2-3 years, Elite Photonics Technologies will not only have customers and technological expertise in optical interconnect and communication, but will also make a breakthrough in optical sensing and optical computing applications.

Q4: How do you view the current state of the silicon photonics market and its future direction?

In addition to silicon photonics being the mainstream in optical interconnect and communication, both CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) and LPO (Linear Pluggable Optics) can also be implemented on the silicon photonics platform. So, from an overall development perspective, silicon photonics will become the mainstream platform for optical interconnect and telecommunication.