MARCH 14, 2007 -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (search for Oki Electric) says it has developed a 1490-nm semiconductor laser (OL4636L-ET) that can transmit up to 2.5 Gbits/sec at an output level of 15 mW. The company claims the performance is the industry's highest over a temperature range of -40 to 85ºC.
Oki says the laser is suitable for use in outdoor FTTH GPON equipment. Samples will be available from mid May to the worldwide market.
While GE-PON technology for FTTH, with a downstream data rate of 1.25 Gbits/sec, is spreading rapidly in Japan and Korea, GPON, with a transmission speed of 2.5 Gbits/sec, is being widely accepted in North America. Oki has already been providing 1490-nm semiconductor lasers for GE-PON with 15 mW of output and a temperature range of 5 to 70ºC.
"With the optimization of the active layer structure, Oki newly developed the OL4636L-ET that can transmit data up to 2.5 Gbits/sec with 15-mW output over a temperature range of -40 to 85ºC. This means it can now be used for outdoor GPON equipment," said Masayuki Tsuboi, president of the Optical Components Company at Oki Electric Industry. "OKI can now offer this high-speed 1490-nm wavelength GPON semiconductor laser which can be used over a broad range of temperatures and achieves the industry's top-level optical output. We are also developing a product that can transmit data up to 2.5 Gbits/sec with 10-mW optical output and can operate over a temperature range of -40 to 95 ºC, and we plan to release it in July 2007."