MOSAIC: Novel Optical Link Technology Overview

This technical report introduces MOSAIC, a new optical link technology designed to address the limitations of existing copper and optical links in data center networks. The document outlines the fundamental trade-offs between reach, power, and reliability that current link technologies impose. MOSAIC employs a wide-and-slow (WaS) architecture, utilizing hundreds of parallel low-speed channels instead of a few high-speed channels. This innovative approach allows MOSAIC to achieve up to 10 times the reach of copper links, reduce power consumption by up to 68%, and enhance reliability by 100 times compared to current optical links. The report details the practical implementation of MOSAIC using directly modulated microLEDs and multicore imaging fibers, which facilitate a scalable solution for future network demands. Additionally, the document discusses the challenges faced in realizing this architecture and how MOSAIC overcomes them, ultimately providing a protocol-agnostic solution that integrates seamlessly with existing network infrastructure.