Princeton Lightwave unveils high power DFB lasers for free-space optics, WDM
Princeton Lightwave, Inc. (PLI), a provider of high performance components, announced 340 milliwatts (mW) of output power from a 1550 nm Distributed Feedback (DFB) Laser coupled into a single mode fiber. This power level is more than twice the previous record of 165 mW.
PLI's WaveHarp product line is a family of advanced DFB lasers that emit high power in a narrow spectral band. As a wavelength-stabilized pump, the WaveHarp incorporates the grating on the laser chip, eliminating the need for an external Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) and reducing customers' costs. As a source laser, it can reduce the need for amplifiers in metro DWDM networks, leading to reduced system cost and complexity. However, its most interesting application may be in free-space optical networks.
While transmitters for free-space optical applications have been shifting into the 1500 nm eye-safe wavelength range, they have been limited to one wavelength channel for transmission of the signal. PLI's WaveHarp products offer exceptional wavelength stability, enabling Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) configurations with 4 or 8 channels for transmission and a corresponding number of channels for reception. In addition, the high power output of the WaveHarp transmitters enables generous power budgets for network designers, potentially leading to less expensive networks on a cost-per-bit basis.
Free-space optics enables point-to-point and multipoint transport of information via beams of light. It is expected to become a strong niche market in the telecommunications industry over the next five years, according to the Strategis Group (Washington, DC). Worldwide free-space optics equipment revenues are expected to increase from under $100 million in 2000 to $2 billion by 2005.
About Princeton Lightwave, Inc.:
Headquartered in Cranbury, NJ, PLI designs, develops and delivers high performance optical components for next-generation networks.