News

22 September 2008

 

Santur gives live demo of InP-based 100Gb/s PIC technology

At this week's European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC 2008) in Brussels, Belgium, integrated photonic device maker Santur Corp of Fremont, CA, USA is giving a live demonstration of 100Gb/s transmitters and receivers based on indium phosphide (InP) laser and detector arrays.

The devices are based on a transmitter that integrates a distributed feedback (DFB) laser array with a matched planar lightwave circuit (PLC) multiplexer, and a receiver that integrates a photodiode array with a matched PLC demultiplexer. The high level of integration eliminates the need for multiple single-channel discrete devices and fiber couplings found in traditional photonic components. Santur says that, unlike parallel 10x10Gb/s technologies based on ribbons of multi-mode fiber (MMF), its transmitters and receivers operate over one conventional single-mode fiber (SMF) with longer reach. Compared to other 100Gb/s SMF optic links, the technology being demonstrated does not require complex modulation schemes or gearbox ICs for conversion to intermediate 25Gb/s lanes.

Santur says that, as a result of its focus on integrated InP devices, there are currently nearly 200,000 of its tunable lasers based on integrated laser arrays deployed in long-haul and metro networks around the world. The firm adds that its ability to make low-cost devices in array form has allowed it to develop a robust photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform that delivers from 40Gb/s to 400Gb/s, and that such devices deliver the value of photonic integration (including increased density, lower cost, reduced power consumption and enhanced reliability) to system integrators.

Based on 10 electrical lanes operating at 10.3Gb/s, the live demonstration showcases wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission of 100Gb/s protocol compliant data streams over up to 10km of SMF. The technology simplifies the upgrade of 10Gb/s channels in access networks, enterprise core networks, and addresses fiber exhaustion in data centers, Santur says.

"The economics of integrating multiple optical devices onto a single chip gives us very significant opportunities to continue to drive performance while keeping cost down," says chief technology officer Bardia Pezeshki. "This solution is optimized to address the near-term need for higher data rates for a wide variety of high-growth applications."

In addition to the live demonstration of 100Gb/s PIC technology, Santur is showcasing its broad portfolio of solutions including narrow-linewidth tunable laser solutions for 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s networks and highly integrated low-profile tunable transmitters.

See related item:

Santur launches low-profile tunable transmitter engine

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Visit: www.santurcorp.com