Santec debuts an O-band version of its swept photonics analyzer
Santec has launched an O-band of its swept photonics SPA-100, broadening its reach to serve other band configurations.
Previously exclusive to the CL band, the Santec SPA-100, is now accessible in an O-band configuration (1260nm to 1350nm). Leveraging the sweeping range of Santec’s tunable laser, the system has what it claims to be a high-resolution reflectometer(<6µm).
Like its CL band counterpart, the O-band version is well suited for analyzing compact components such as photonic integrated circuits (PICs), fiber optic elements, and short cable assemblies due to its sub-6µm resolution.
The provided software presents a trace illustrating reflectance and loss events, offering the ability to pinpoint faults and assess parameters like waveguide length and refractive index.
Beyond yielding a reflectance trace, the SPA-100 system uses coherent detection technology to perform transmissive wavelength-dependent loss measurement with a wide dynamic range of better than 70dB in a single scan, saving measurement time without changing optical power meter ranges.
A patented proximity sensing function allows the fiber probe to sense the distance between the probe and the silicon wafer to facilitate alignment during the wafer-level characterization process in a silicon photonic chip production line.
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About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
