Solinide Photoncs AB
Dr. Mark Holm, VP of Technology, Solinide Photoncs AB
Dr Mark Holm is VP of Technology at Solinide Photonics AB, a Chalmers University spinoff developing silicon nitride microcomb-based external laser sources for co-packaged optics (CPO) in AI datacentre interconnects. He leads the company's technical strategy and product roadmap, working closely with strategic partners including NVIDIA on next-generation optical interconnect solutions for AI infrastructure. Mark holds a PhD in Semiconductor Laser Physics (VECSELs) from the University of Strathclyde, where he studied under Professor Martin Dawson, and a First Class BSc in Laser Physics. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE.
He brings 25 years of engineering management and technical strategy experience across the photonics and RF/microwave industries. Prior to Solinide, Mark spent a decade at Huawei Sweden leading mmWave and photonics R&D, following senior engineering roles at Selex Galileo (microwave/AESA radar systems), Filtronic, and Agilent Technologies. Across this career he has developed deep expertise in high-frequency systems engineering, semiconductor device physics, and international technology strategy.
Mark's research interests centre on silicon nitride photonic integration, microcomb sources and soliton dynamics, and their application to scalable, energy-efficient optical interconnects for AI and datacentre computing. He is particularly focused on the co-design of photonic and electronic systems to meet the bandwidth and power demands of next-generation AI infrastructure.
Topic:
Microcomb-Based External Laser Sources for Co-Packaged Optics in AI Datacentre Interconnects.
Abstract:
As AI infrastructure scales, the energy and bandwidth demands of optical interconnects are becoming a critical bottleneck for datacentre architectures. Co-packaged optics (CPO) promises significant gains in power efficiency and density, but conventional laser sourcing approaches struggle to meet the wavelength count, power budget, and reliability requirements of next-generation AI clusters. Solinide Photonics, a Chalmers University spinoff, has developed a silicon nitride microcomb-based external laser source (ELS) that generates dozens of high-purity optical carrier lines from a single chip-scale device, replacing banks of discrete lasers with a compact, energy-efficient alternative. Our LumiCOMB platform delivers up to 24 usable lines above -5 dBm with 69% conversion efficiency in a 200 GHz FSR O-band configuration, validated in live demonstrations driving modulators on CPO prototypes with NVIDIA.
In this talk, we'll explain how microcomb lasers work in plain terms, share the real-world engineering challenges of bringing this technology to market, and outline our path to qualification and volume production. We'll also cover what it takes to get a new photonics technology certified for industry use, and how partners across the supply chain, from chip foundries to system builders, can get involved.
Key Technologies Covered:
- Silicon nitride (SiN) photonic integration
- Microcomb (Kerr comb) laser generation
- Soliton dynamics and dark/bright soliton engineering
- Co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures
- External laser sources (ELS) for optical interconnects
- Multi-wavelength optical carrier generation
- AI datacentre optical interconnect scaling
- OIF-ELSFP compliance and qualification testing
- Energy-per-bit optimisation for photonic interconnects
- SOI micro-ring modulator integration