MaxLinear has unveiled Washington, a four-lane transimpedance amplifier built for 200G per lane operation in 1.6-terabit optical transceiver modules aimed at AI data centres. According to the company's announcement, the device is now in sample form for customers, with mass production planned for the second half of 2026.

The launch strengthens MaxLinear's push into the fastest-growing part of data-centre connectivity, where operators are chasing greater bandwidth while trying to keep power consumption in check. The company says Washington is designed as a low-power, low-noise analogue front end and is intended to support a broader range of emerging optical architectures, including LRO, LPO, NPO, XPO and CPO applications.

The product also fits into a wider portfolio that already spans DSPs, TIAs and other interconnect components for 100G through 1.6T systems. MaxLinear's own product pages describe its data-centre offerings as tailored for hyperscale cloud networks and AI infrastructure, while the company's MxL91782 PAM4 DSP is positioned for 1.6Tbps links in next-generation form factors.

The timing matters because the optical business is becoming a more visible part of MaxLinear's growth story. Simply Wall St noted that management has pointed to stronger sales targets and a step-up in optical revenue, while the new TIA adds another piece to the company's effort to win design slots before the market moves from qualification to volume deployment. The main question now is how quickly Washington can progress from sampling to commercial orders as AI infrastructure spending turns into hardware rollouts.

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Source: Noah Wire Services