EFFECT Photonics verifies integrated InP PIC for coherent applications

GLASGOW, Scotland—EFFECT Photonics, a developer of highly integrated optical solutions, has achieved verification of an integrated tunable laser InP-based Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC), the core enabler powering its digital Pico Integrated Tunable Laser Assembly (pITLA).

Tunable lasers have a crucial role in coherent optical systems. These lasers enable dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), which allows service providers to expand network capacity without expanding the existing fiber infrastructure.  With this milestone, the tunable laser InP-based Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) has successfully passed a series of tests showing required performance items outlined by IEEE Std. 802.3-2022, 100GBASE-ZR. 

Unlike current tunable laser assemblies, EFFECT Photonics’ digital pITLA core is a tunable laser implemented fully as a monolithic integrated InP PIC. The company said this enables advantages such as achieving a compact footprint, higher assembly yields, and ease of integration into pluggable form factors. The InP PIC is the only solution to integrate the gain section, laser cavity, optical amplifier, and wavelength locker into one chip. By incorporating these functions on a single chip and including the control functions in the assembly, the user can easily communicate and control the laser by simply providing digital commands.

“In the last decade, the industry has made impressive strides in reducing the size of crucial coherent optical functions, making way for digital coherent modules. EFFECT Photonics pITLA sets a new precedent in photonic integration by eliminating the need for external micro-optics to control tunable lasers,” said Roberto Marcoccia, CEO of EFFECT Photonics. “Our monolithic approach maintains all vital functions while drastically reducing the device’s overall size to a smaller form factor previously unattainable.”

Purposely designed to simplify the design of small form factor pluggables, the integrated InP PIC is the foundation of EFFECT Photonics new pITLA, emphasizing power, low cost, and compactness. The company claims it will pave the way for the effortless and cost-efficient design of coherent pluggables.

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