Everyone is talking about AI. But behind every AI breakthrough is a massive infrastructure challenge. More compute. More data. More connectivity. More pressure on the systems that keep everything moving. As AI infrastructure scales, photonics is becoming a critical technology enabler. In the first episode of “Following the Photons”, Sivers CEO #VickramVathulya# joins #JustineMurphy# with to discuss how photonics and AI are converging to enable the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient computing. Curious where AI infrastructure is heading? Worth a listen. 🎧 #Photonics# #AI# #Semiconductors# #OpticalNetworking# #DataCenter#

Abstract - Semtech (SMTC) Initiated Buy on 1.6T and NPO • Initiates with Buy, $180 PT (25x FY28E P/E). • Transitioning from an analog chip company to an AI interconnect beneficiary w portfolio spanning ACC, TIA, drivers, lasers and NPO analog solutions. • Guides FY27 AI revenue >$350M; we forecast $466M (FY27E) → $1.22B (FY28E), driven by 1.6T. • Google TPU expansion to be a key catalyst for CopperEdge ACC. • NPO adoption could be the next major growth leg beyond 2027 as DSP removal increases analog content. • Believes NVIDIA and leading CSPs are evaluating NPO deployments. • NPO market size : we forecast 38M NPO optical engines in 2028, suggesting a multi-billion-dollar TIA/driver TAM • Acquisition of HieFo strengthens its laser portfolio and expands optical content opportunities. #AI# #Semiconductors# #OpticalNetworking# #SMTC#

If anyone is working in optical networking industry with experience in lasers, i'd love to talk to you. Short 30-40 min call. No proprietary information wanted, just industry information. Please contact me via X or email. I am willing to offer comp for your time if need be.

$NOK — Nokia is rebuilding itself around the AI infrastructure cycle — across optical networking, AI silicon, and AI-RAN. Key highlights: — Q1 2026 net sales in optical networking grew 20% YoY. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating, pointing to AI and cloud order strength as a potential upside catalyst. — Launched four AI-workload-optimized DSPs at the March OFC conference, expected to lower customer TCO by up to 70%. — Partnering with Nvidia and other chip leaders on the AI-RAN alliance, bringing radio access networks onto AI accelerators. Three structural shifts, one company quietly repositioning. Trade $NOK and 900+ U.S. and Hong Kong equities with stablecoins on StableStock.

$GFS & $MRVL EXPAND U.S. CAPACITY FOR AI OPTICAL NETWORKING GlobalFoundries and Marvell signed a multi-year agreement to expand silicon germanium manufacturing capacity at GF’s Burlington, Vermont facility. The added capacity will support Marvell’s next-gen pluggable optics, near-packaged optics and co-packaged optics as AI data centers push toward higher-bandwidth interconnects. GF’s current SiGe platform supports 200G-per-lane connectivity, with a roadmap toward faster generations. Financial terms were not disclosed.

📢 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: GlobalFoundries and Marvell Expand Multi-Year SiGe Deal to Meet AI Optical Connectivity Demand - $GFS $MRVL 👉 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: ➤ 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 and 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹 expand their multi-year semiconductor agreement. ➤ Deal increases 𝗦𝗶𝗚𝗲 manufacturing capacity at GF's Vermont facility. ➤ Expansion targets accelerating 𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 optical connectivity demand. ➤ Technology supports pluggable transceivers, 𝗡𝗣𝗢 and 𝗖𝗣𝗢 architectures. ➤ GF's current SiGe technology supports 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝗚-𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 optical connectivity. ➤ Agreement is expected to add 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 capacity for Marvell's requirements. ➤ GF combines 𝗦𝗶𝗚𝗲, silicon photonics and advanced packaging technologies. ➤ Partnership builds on more than a 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 of collaboration. ➤ Companies are preparing for higher-bandwidth 𝗔𝗜 and cloud infrastructure. 👉 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: ➤ Expands domestic capacity for critical 𝗔𝗜 optical networking components. ➤ Supports Marvell's ability to scale next-generation 𝗡𝗣𝗢 and 𝗖𝗣𝗢 products. ➤ Addresses rising bandwidth requirements as AI clusters grow larger. ➤ Highlights optical connectivity's increasing importance alongside 𝗔𝗜 accelerators. 👉 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻, Vice President, Foundry Technology, Marvell: “AI is fundamentally changing the way data centers are built, and connectivity is becoming increasingly critical to unlocking the performance of these systems,” said Robb Johnson, Vice President, Foundry Technology, Marvell. “As the industry moves toward higher-bandwidth optical architectures, including NPO and CPO, Marvell is investing aggressively to lead this transition. Our expanded collaboration with GF will help ensure we have the SiGe technology and manufacturing capacity to support the significant growth we see ahead.” 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻, Senior Vice President of Photonics & RF Businesses at GF: “SiGe is where GF’s decades of high-performance radio frequency and analog leadership translate directly into breakthrough optical performance,” said Shankaran Janardhanan, senior vice president of Photonics & RF businesses at GF. “This agreement reinforces our long-standing relationship with Marvell and reflects the critical role SiGe technology plays in enabling high-speed optical networking for AI infrastructure. We will continue investing in our technology roadmap and manufacturing capabilities both in the U.S. and around the world to support our customers' future growth.”

AI’s biggest bottleneck is moving data and that could still create huge opportunities for optical networking companies (Save this) The chart shows a 1.6T optical transceiver, a device that transfers data between AI servers, switches, GPUs, and fiber optic networks. 1.6T means it can theoretically move up to 1.6 terabits of data per second, or 1,600 gigabits and that is about twice the speed of an 800G connection. This technology is important because AI data centers contain thousands of GPUs that must constantly exchange information. As AI models become larger, slow connections can leave expensive processors waiting for data but faster optical links help reduce that bottleneck and allow AI clusters to operate more efficiently. This image shows two directions of travel. The TX path converts electrical data from a server or switch into light which travels through fiber. The RX path receives that light and converts it back into an electrical signal for another device. And inside the module are several key components. Optical DSPs process and correct the signal, laser drivers control the lasers, modulators place data onto the light, and photodiodes convert incoming light back into electricity. Amplifiers, timing chips, thermal sensors, power management devices, and high speed connectors help the system operate reliably. Optical fiber becomes more attractive at higher speeds because copper connections lose efficiency over longer distances. At 1.6T, copper may only be practical across very short distances while optical technology can move data farther with better bandwidth and lower signal loss. This creates an investment opportunity beyond the companies making AI chips. NVIDIA remains a major beneficiary because its AI systems require fast connections between GPUs. Broadcom and Marvell could benefit from their networking chips, custom silicon, and optical connectivity products. Coherent and Lumentum are important optical suppliers with exposure to lasers, photonics, and high speed transceivers while Applied Optoelectronics is a more direct transceiver play and has announced a volume order for 1.6T data center products. Arista Networks and Cisco could benefit by selling the switches and networking systems that connect AI servers. Chinese suppliers such as Innolight, Eoptolink and Accelink Technology could also benefit as China expands its AI data center infrastructure. If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to follow @MelvinInvests for more photonics, AI infrastructure and semiconductor insights and turn on post notifications so you don't miss a single update. If you want to see exactly what I'm buying as an analyst at Milk Road Pro, check out the link below:

$SPCX / Elon Musk acquires Mesh, an optical networking startup. Which is working on 1.6T OSFP (pluggable). It’s seems they own the optical engine/packaging side of things, but likely sources CW DFB lasers off merchant companies. $SIVE is one of the more startup friendly plausible merchant suppliers as seen with Ayar to $POET? Maybe $LITE and $MTSI that were have a little history too, but less so. Regardless it’s very positive a lot of startups recently like Celestial have been acquired by Marvell. For both merchant laser supplier revenue (working with startups -> having hyperscalers like SpaceX drive revenue after being designed in already). As well as valuations from M&A desirability. Goes to show how optical interconnects is the right direction if Elon Musk is directly buying these companies.