The composition of pluggable optics is changing, according to LightCounting’s nineth edition of its Silicon Photonics report which includes a new market forecast for linear drive pluggable and co-packaged optics. LightCounting says it expects that market share of transceivers using SiP-based optical modulators will increase from 24% in 2022 to 44% by 2028.
It also notes that modulators based on other thin film materials can be manufactured on silicon wafers and combined with a wide range of optical elements and electronic ICs, using SiP as the integration platform. These materials currently include Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN), Barium Titanate (BTO) and electro-optics polymers, which the report combines into a “TFLN and other” category in the drawing above.