Light at the Edge of Compute

High-power laser technology for next-generation AI data center interconnects

Zohar Photonics has developed a multi-watt laser platform that delivers 6× the power of conventional technology — enabling the co-packaged optics architectures that AI-scale data centers demand.

MOCVD growth chamber — Sylmar, CA

2.5W

Die-level power · 6× standard

35%

Electricity-to-light efficiency

$8.1B

ELS TAM by 2030 · 137% CAGR

25 yr

Operational heritage

Technology

A materials & device breakthrough — not incremental improvement

Zohar Photonics' platform delivers 2.5W per die — one chip replaces 4–8 standard lasers. This performance leap is architectural, not a spec race.

Wafer inspection — vertically integrated manufacturing

2.5W

Die-Level Power

6× conventional technology

35%

E→L Efficiency at 25°C

Best-in-class for InP lasers

1.8W

In-Fiber at 50°C

28% efficiency maintained

4–8

Fibers per Die

Standard lasers drive only one

Company

25 years of operational excellence — now addressing a massive market

Years Operating

Employees

40K

Sq Ft Manufacturing Facility

30%

PhDs on Staff

Built for the Hardest Problems First

The founding team came from Ortel Corporation, a pioneer in fiber optic lasers acquired by Lucent Technologies for $2.95B. Zohar Photonics was founded in 2000 and has spent 25 years solving extreme-environment laser physics in defense, medical, and industrial markets — before data centers needed it.

Decades of designing high-reliability lasers for fighter jets, precision surgical systems, and industrial sensing — all under extreme thermal conditions with zero tolerance for field failure — produced the materials science and manufacturing discipline that CPO demands. MIL-spec reliability protocols, carrier-grade quality processes, and vertically integrated epitaxy optimized for both cost and performance: the foundation the data center market now requires was built long before it was needed.

Vertically Integrated U.S. Manufacturing

MOCVD epitaxial growth

Wafer fabrication

Optoelectronic packaging

Fiber coupling & test

Sylmar, California · Fully permitted for semiconductor manufacturing · Current capacity: 50–100K devices/month

Leadership

Decades of high-power laser expertise

Dr. Jeffrey Ungar

Founder & CEO

Ph.D. Applied Physics, Caltech (research group of Nobel Laureate William Fowler). One of the first four scientists at Ortel Corporation. 30+ years developing high-power InP lasers. Founded Zohar Photonics in 2000.

Dr. Robert Lammert

Chief Technology Officer

Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana. VP of R&D since 2001. Numerous inventions and patents in high-power, high-efficiency lasers and optical amplifiers.

Dr. Wentao Hu

Chief Operating Officer

Ph.D. Lasers & Optical Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. VP of Engineering and Manufacturing since 2004.

Ivalee Francia

VP of Finance

BA in Business Administration and Accounting, Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Controller since 2007. 30+ years in accounting and finance at public and private companies.