MARCH 16, 2007 - Bookham Inc. (search for Bookham), a provider of optical components, modules, and subsystems, has announced that its LambdaFLEX integrable tunable laser assembly (iTLA) -- which has been deployed in systems supporting 10 Gbits/sec and below -- has now been given the stamp of approval by equipment vendors for data rates up to 40 Gbits/sec.
The iTLA has been selected for use in 40-Gbit/sec transmission systems including the Mintera MI 40000XS next-generation subsystem for DWDM optical transport in metro, regional, and ultralong-haul telecom networks. Mintera is currently shipping the MI 40000XS platform to customers worldwide.
"The Bookham iTLA has proved extremely effective in our next-generation 40-Gbit/sec DWDM optical transmission systems," says Bryan Siegal, vice president of operations and customer satisfaction, Mintera. "We are very satisfied with the optical performance of the Bookham iTLA. It has provided us with a reliable, high-performance laser source. The product's mechanical design means that it is easy to assemble, requiring no additional parts, thereby reducing the bill of materials. The full C-band coverage has simplified our planning and inventory requirements."
The tunable laser is built on a single indium phosphide optical chip, the DS-DBR, a patented design with no moving parts, which the company claims enables extremely fast wavelength tuning with excellent reliability, comparable to that offered by legacy DFB lasers.
The fully qualified device is in volume production at the company's manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China. Based on the OIF MSA outline, the full-band tunable laser is supplied in module form, with control electronics and firmware, to enable quick and economical integration with customers' systems. The product provides a number of functions, such as narrow linewidth, internal frequency dither generation, direct input path for transmitter trace tone functionality, dark tuning, field-programmable firmware, adjustable power, and full C- or L-band coverage. Vertical integration capability allows Bookham to offer custom iTLA designs.
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