November 14, 2005 Durham, NC -- ExceLight Communications has launched a family of uncooled coaxial lasers for CATV applications. According to the company, the devices, designed to enable more cost-effective forward-path applications, offer output powers up to 5 mW at 1310 nm - about 2 - 3 dB higher than previous generations of uncooled coaxial lasers.
The company says its SLV4840/SLV4850 and SLV4240/SLV4250 coaxial lasers offer significantly improved linearity over conventional lasers to achieve much higher output levels at high temperatures. According to the company, this enhanced linearity means that there is no "roll-off" of optical output power at elevated temperatures, while also enabling improved distortion performance.
The company says the lasers benefit from improved quantum efficiencies in the DFB laser diode and an improved optical coupling system, allowing users to obtain higher power over a wider operating temperature range, all without cooling. This optimized, uncooled coaxial laser design can provide a significant cost advantage over commonly used butterfly packaged lasers, says the company.
"Lowering the costs of optical CATV distribution is important to both service providers and transmission equipment suppliers," comments Dr. Mike Nishiguchi, president of ExceLight. "Our new uncooled laser, optimized for forward-path, gives equipment designers an important alternative to higher-cost butterfly devices."
For return-path applications, the company says its SLV4840/SLV4850 and SLV4240/SLV4250 coaxial lasers offer similar performance benefits of improved linearity and an extended operating temperature range from -40°C to +95°C.
The lasers are designed and manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries, ExceLight's parent company and a global provider of CATV return-path, DFB, and CWDM lasers.