AUGUST 12, 2008 -- Bookham Inc. (search for Bookham) says it has completed Tier 1 customer demonstrations of its 40-Gbit/sec optical differential quadrature phase-shift keying (ODQPSK) tunable transmitter capability. The tunable transmitter assembly (TTA) is designed to meet price points that will enable cost-effective deployment of 40-Gbit/sec transmission in metro networks.
The TTA has been demonstrated in the Bookham Caswell, UK, facility using cascaded DWDM nodes to reproduce real network conditions, and will be sampled into customer premises next month.
The TTA is underpinned by a single gold box that co-packages an indium phosphide Mach Zehnder modulator (InP MZ), measuring less than 10 mm and believed to be the industry's smallest 40-Gbit/sec modulator, and the LambdaFLEX DSDBR tunable laser. The TTA, which Bookham asserts implements all required control circuitry including an OIF standard tunable laser interface, measures 74x39x8.4 mm, and is the first building block towards the Bookham 40-Gbit/sec transponder.
"These successful network simulation tests with our key customers are a big step forward for the Bookham 40-Gbit/sec program, confirming the superior optical performance of ODQPSK modulation and its excellent adaptability to multiple fiber types," said PLM Director Adam Price. "Through our vertical integration model we are proving that InP technology established by Bookham can provide the high performance needed for line side 40-Gbit/sec optical networks, without the cost, power, and size issues linked to less integrated transmitter and decoder solutions. This performance is targeted to be delivered at a price point that will see us create a real market for 40 Gbits/sec in the metro/regional network, in line with service providers' requirements.
"We believe our 40 Gbit/sec TTA will be an economically compelling product for the players in this space," concluded Price.
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