Lumentum, Astera Labs and Corning are demonstrating PCIe-over-optics connectivity for AI rack-scale architectures this week at the 2026 OCP Global Summit in San Jose, California.
PCIe-over-optics refers to carrying Peripheral Component Interconnect Express signals—typically moved over short electrical connections—over optical fiber instead. The approach is meant to help AI infrastructure overcome limits around cable reach, density, signal integrity, power and heat as systems scale.
The rack-level proof of concept pairs Astera Labs’ Scorpio Smart Fabric Switch with Lumentum’s 1060 nm VCSEL-based optical interconnect platform and Corning multimode fiber. It is designed to show fully operational optical links extending PCIe connectivity inside an AI rack, including multiple 32 Gb/s NRZ optical channels and an error-free PCIe-5 link.
Lumentum said its high-density vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodetector arrays use advanced packaging, while Astera said its switch and COSMOS link intelligence can support lower latency, higher bandwidth density and improved power efficiency.
Read the full press release here.