2 November 2011

GigOptix TFPS Mach-Zehnder modulators fully Telcordia qualified

GigOptix Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which supplies semiconductor and optical components for high-speed information streaming) has announced the completion of reliability qualification for its Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) implemented using its proprietary Thin Film Polymer on Silicon (TFPS) technology.

Full compliance of the TFPS modulator series of products - as tested against the Telcordia GR-468 standard – represents the first polymer modulator to come to market, fully qualified, that will truly disrupt the current market for MZMs, reckons GigOptix.

The TFPS modulators offer advantages over existing crystalline semiconductor technologies, claims GigOptix. The firm’s proprietary material allows low drive voltage in the smallest form factor available. The low drive voltage reduces power consumption by more than 20% compared with competing modulator technologies, it is claimed, while the small form factor enables smaller 300-pin optical transponders. The modulators also offer simpler manufacturing processes and larger bandwidth. Intrinsic polymer material properties and TFPS modulator processing allows the modulator to reside on the same silicon chip as the silicon-based drivers, offering an integration platform for small-footprint components. The technology also allows integration of the modulator, laser, and driver in a small-footprint module.

“After more than 10 years of hard work and groundbreaking innovation, our revolutionary TFPS products and materials are now fully qualified and available commercially to the market,” says Dr Raluca Dinu, VP & general manager of Optics.

“Three years ago, when GigOptix acquired Lumera, we could only dream of what the proprietary polymer material could accomplish and, with the full Telcordia qualification of the TFPS modulators, we finally see one of those dreams turn to reality,” says chairman & CEO Dr Avi Katz. “The team has brought a highly innovative product from an R&D experiment into a fully qualified, highly disruptive, commercial product,” he adds.

Passing the stringent requirements of the Telcordia GR-468 is essential, reckons GigOptix, as it demonstrates that the TFPS modulators meet the long-term reliability standards required by telecom sub-system and system integrators.

The TFPS modulators have passed the specific testing requirements as outline in the Telcordia GR-468 standard including: high-temperature operation lifetime (HTOL) tested at 85°C; temperature cycling; low-temperature storage; vibration, mechanical and thermal shock; and fiber pull, twist, and cable retention testing.

The LX8401 (40G DPSK) MZM is available in production quantities. The LX8220 (40G DQPSK), LX8900 (100G Dual Drive NRZ) and LX8901 (100G DPSK) MZMs are available for sampling.

Tags: GigOptix Mach-Zehnder modulators

Visit:www.gigoptix.com