New multiplexer/demultiplexer and interleaver families have been introduced. Based on silicon-on-silicon AWG technology, they offer a variety of dense-channel-spacing passive optical components for flexible, scalable, and economical DWDM transmissions. The Mux/DeMux series includes high-channel-count 200-, 100-, and 50-GHz mux/demuxes with channel counts from 8 to 40. A new 25- to 100-GHz interleaver demultiplexes 25-GHz-spaced channels into four sets of 100-GHz-spaced channels.
OpsiTech, Grenoble, France
Motion-control software has been introduced for the FR-3000 NanoRobot alignment system used in photonic automation applications. The software includes advanced peak-finding routines, allowing the system to quickly find first light and optimize alignment. Open architecture and script-based routines allow for ease of customization using C++, LabVIEW, or Visual Basic.
Exfo, Quebec City, Que., Canada
A new series of collimators are designed to focus/collimate light exiting a fiber to a desired beam diameter or spot size. Available in either short- or long-focus models with FC or SMA connectors and molded aspheric glass lenses with an AR coating. They are available in one of three wavelength ranges: visible (488 to 633 nm), visible-NIR (650 to 870 nm), and IR (1064 to 1550 nm). Housed in 303 stainless steel, the diffraction-limited lenses allow users to reach spot size down to a few microns.
Edmund Industrial Optics, Barrington, NJ
TRANSCEIVERThe MuxLink WWDM LX4 transceiver operates over both installed multimode and single-mode fiber. The 10-GbE standard PMD allows up to 300 m of transmission distance over installed multimode fiber. Each transceiver has four 3.125-Gbit/s DFB lasers, which are optically multiplexed to give 10-Gbit/s data throughput. The MuxLink line of WWDM transceivers are designed to meet the IEEE 802.3ae 10 GbE 10GBASE-LX4 PMD standard.
Molex, Lisle, IL
OPTICAL ATTENUATOR
A liquid-crystal variable optical attenuator is a voltage-controlled device for power management in optical networks. It has a dynamic range of 20-dB attenuation and operates in the S-, C-, and L-bands. It comes in a coaxial package 5.5 mm in diameter for integration onto circuit boards.
Lightwaves2020, Milpitas, CA
TEST FIXTURE
The ButterflyNet test fixture allows the insertion and removal of up to 16 devices for life test, burn in, and characterization of laser diodes and other butterfly-packaged photonic devices. The fixture uses independent thermoelectric coolers to control the temperature of each device and works with standard 14-pin packages as well as custom configurations. It does not require mounting screws.
Racal Instruments, Irvine, CA
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
The Model FZ-1000XD-S is an automated system for noncontact measurement of optical fiber arrays and MT ferrule eccentricity, as well as pitch dimensions in V-groove boards. The autofocus function allows measurement on an 8-core optical fiber array in 8 s. It has resolution of 0.07 μm and positional repeatability of 0.3 μm.
Moritex Europe Ltd., Cambridge, England
980-NM CHIP PRODUCTS
A new 980-nm pump laser product line for EDFAs utilizes a proprietary facet design and coating process for reliable, kink-free powers of >700 mW. They are designed to increase the threshold at which catastrophic optical damage (COD) at the laser facet can occur. Values of 20 MW/cm2 are achieved, compared to typical industry values of 12 MW/cm2. Three grades of devices are available: 150+ mW for uncooled, low-cost, metro pump applications; 300+ mW for mid- to low-power pump modules; and 500+ mW for high-power applications.
Axcel Photonics, Marlborough, MA
OPTICAL MONITORING SYSTEM
The OMS 3000 optical monitoring system includes a high-performance monochromator, optical feedthroughs on the coating chamber, and modified fiberoptic lightguides. It can create films with thickness uniformities of better than 1 pm over a substrate surface area of approximately 2800 mm2. The system is available on its own, or as a retrofit package for APS1104 DWDM systems.
Leybold Optics, Hanau, Germany
OC-768 CHIPSET
An OC-768 chipset architecture interfaces higher-level system functions such as SONET framing to physical-layer components, allowing electrical-optical and optical-electrical conversion. It uses InP and CMOS components, and creates a serial stream operating between 40 and 50 Gbit/s. It includes a 4:1 mux with a clock multiply unit and a 1:4 demux with clock-and-data-recovery circuitry.
Inphi Corp., Westlake Village, CA
RECONFIGURABLE OADMs
A series of reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers include configurations for 2, 4, 8, or more channels. The devices use either thin-film filter or fiber Bragg grating technology, and handle channel spacing of 200, 100, or 50 GHz. The multiplexers allow remote add/drop provisioning in metropolitan-area networks.
Oplink Communications, San Jose, CA
GOLD SOLDERING
The Fiber Array Package (FAP) System for soldering gold-metallized telecommunications fibers to gold-plated substrates uses a 40-W NIR FAP with a standard 1:1 optics imaging accessory. The microprocessor-controlled system allows users to interchange laser diodes at different wavelengths for a variety of applications. It can operate in cw, single-shot, or multishot modes.
Coherent, Santa Clara, CA
SERDES CHIPSET
The SMI4021/31 is a highly integrated, multirate, SERDES (serializer/deserializer) chipset for OC-768 optical communications. The chipset uses SiGe process technology and consists of the SMI4021, a 16:1 multirate multiplexer with an integrated clock multiply unit, and the SMI4031, a 1:16 multirate demultiplexer with integrated clock-and-data-recovery unit that is able to perform continuously from 37 to 46 Gbit/s.
Sierra Monolithics, Redondo Beach, CA
DWDM SYSTEM
The LambdaDriver 1600 DWDM system transports up to 16 independent optical data streams at full duplex over a single fiber pair. Each stream can handle up to 2.5 Gbit/s, for a total throughput of 40 Gbit/s. It is designed for metro networks and supports most data protocols. The 19-in., rach-mountable chassis hosts mux/demux modules with 4, 8, or 16 wavelengths.
Optical Access, Greenwood Village, CO
FEMTOSECOND PMD MEASUREMENT
The FPMD-5600 measures femtosecond polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). The instrument measures small levels of PMD in narrowband DWDM channels and components. Measurements can be performed in less than two minutes at any resolution. Single-button measurements allow for high throughput for production testing.
AMS Technologies, Munich, Germany
AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY/BONDING EQUIPMENTThe SMA 1000 is a fully automated assembly and bonding machine for optoelectronics devices. The machine offers post-bonding accuracies up to ±1 μm at 3 Sigma and can handle delicate components under permanent force and vision control. The machine is based on Sysmelec's Autoplace 411 six-axis robot. A variety of standard bonding processes can be integrated directly into the system.
Sysmelec, Old Lyme, CT
FARADAY ROTATOR FILMS
Faraday rotator films for circulators/isolators are available made from bismuth-substituted iron garnet, measuring 1 x 1 x 0.46 mm thick (typ.), with a Faraday angle of 45°. Extinction ratios are >40 dB and insertion loss is <0.1 dB. Center wavelength tolerances are ±20 nm with typical center wavelengths of 1310, 1550, and 1580 nm. Reflectance is <0.2% per side.
CVI Laser, Albuquerque, NM
FIBER-PIGTAILED LASER MODULESFiberMax is a fiber-pigtailed laser module that combines proprietary μLens technology with a laser diode and a single-mode fiber in a new ultracompact package. The μLens is mounted directly in front of the diode's emitting edge to capture nearly 100% of the diode's power, circularizing the beam and correcting any aberrations, and optimizing the beam for fiber coupling in a single step, eliminating the need for complex, multielement optics.
Blue Sky Research, Milpitas, CA