As AI data centers upgrade from 800G to 1.6T and 3.2T, the bottleneck shifts from chips to photonic transmission. Podcast host Brian dissects the entire photonics chain, highlighting Corning, Amphenol, Credo, Ciena, AXT, and VEO Solutions as key suppliers, while advising to wait for pullbacks.

The real bottleneck in AI data centers isn't a single chip, but the entire photonics supply chain that converts electrical signals to optical and moves massive data. Brian, a former procurement expert from Amazon and Target, explains that as the industry upgrades from 800G to 1.6T and 3.2T, the biggest gains flow to essential suppliers like Corning, Amphenol, Ciena, and upstream materials and testing companies. This article breaks down the complete photonics chain and highlights high-growth stocks to watch.

AI data centers face copper's physical limits, making photonics the inevitable choice. Former Target and Amazon executive Brian dismantles the photonics supply chain — from Corning's fiber, Amphenol's connectors, Ciena's systems, to upstream materials (AXT) and testing (VEO) — highlighting overlooked 10X potential stocks at each layer.