NeoPhotonics Corp of San Jose, CA, a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of both indium phosphide (InP) and silica-on-silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based modules and subsystems, has launched a small-form-factor, narrow-linewidth, micro-integrated tunable laser assembly (micro-ITLA) technology.
NeoPhotonics says that it is building upon its field-proven technology in creating the new generation of laser, which is designed to reduce footprint by more than a factor of three and reduce power consumption compared to current-generation ITLAs. The micro-ITLA is also intended to outperform current-generation narrow-linewidth lasers in both linewidth and output optical power. Designed to be compliant with the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) implementation agreement, the new micro-ITLA uses NeoPhotonics’ PIC technology, which allows the integration of many active and passive photonic functions within single-chip elements.
With demand for bandwidth continuing to grow rapidly, deployments of 100Gbps networks using advanced modulation techniques and coherent detection are increasingly preferred by carriers as these technologies provide improved signal quality and allow for longer spans in metro and long-haul backbone networks, lowering the overall cost of transporting high-bandwidth data from one place to another, says NeoPhotonics. The narrow-linewidth tunable laser is a key element in coherent optical communications systems, the firm adds. Much like tuning to a signal in a radio receiver, coherent detection uses a narrow-linewidth laser (local oscillator) tuned to the transmitter optical frequency. Laser linewidth must be in the range of a few hundred kilohertz to avoid penalties to signal-to-noise ratio and system performance.
“NeoPhotonics is one of the few companies that can design and manufacture precision tunable lasers with linewidth suitably narrow for coherent network applications,” claims chairman & CEO Tim Jenks. “We became the industry’s largest supplier of narrow-linewidth tunable lasers in 2012,” he adds. "In the micro-ITLA we utilize our PIC technology to minimize the device size and power consumption, while providing our customers with the device performance and production capabilities they need to capture the growth that is apparent in the 100G market space.”
NeoPhotonics is showcasing its narrow-linewidth tunable laser products along with intradyne coherent receivers, 100G CFP and CFP2 transponders for client-side transmission and an extensive line of OLT transceivers for FTTH PON networks in booth 1601 at the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC 2013) exhibition in Anaheim (19-21 March).
