GigOptix samples 100G coherent optical modulator

GigOptix, Inc. (OTCQX:GGOX), a supplier of high-speed electronic and electro-optic components, says it has begun sampling the LX8240, a 100G dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (DP-QPSK) Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM).

The LX8240 MZM is the latest addition to GigOptix's portfolio of 100G drivers and transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs). In its recent optical components report, Ovum identified 100G as the fastest growing segment within optical communications with a compound annual growth rate of 107%.

Introduced in time for the market takeoff, GigOptix says the LX8240 benefits include its ultra-small form factor, low insertion loss, and low power consumption, making it ideal for use in metro, long-haul, and ultra-long haul optical transport applications. This modulator leverages the company’s proprietary Thin Film Polymer on Silicon (TFPS) technology to bring to customers what GigOptix claims is the lowest power consumption in the smallest footprint modulator available in the market.

Dr Raluca Dinu, general manager and vice president of the optics product line at GigOptix, said, "The continuous consumer-generated demand for more bandwidth is forcing operators to upgrade to next-generation 100G networks, and we believe that the LX8240 addresses customers' needs to shrink the size and power of their solutions without compromising on performance."

GigOptix notes that the LX8240 engineering samples are manufactured on GigOptix's production line at Sanmina-SCI in Shenzhen, China – no doubt to indicate that production hasn’t been impacted by the recent flooding in Thailand (see "Ovum assesses Thai flood impact").

Samples are available now. GigOptix is also offering the TFPS modulator chips for evaluation and integration into customized modules.

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