Introduction to the Issue on Optical Interconnects for Data Centers

The authors are pleased to introduce the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (JSTQE) Issue on "Optical Interconnects for Data Centers." This issue signifies the first JSTQE issue dedicated to the emerging important roles photonics are playing in data centers. The issue showcases the significant research progress being made toward integrating optical interconnect technology (monolithically or multichip module) with CMOS computing logic to meet the challenges in achieving the high performance and energy efficiency needed for both high-performance computing and data centers. This issue contains 20 papers, including seven invited and 13 contributed papers, authored by some of the leading photonics research groups in the world. The papers in this issue cover the broad scope of research representative of this growing field.