Bookham launches two new iTLAs

JANUARY 24, 2007 -- Optical components, modules, and subsystems provider Bookham Inc. (search for Bookham), has launched two new versions of its fully-qualified LambdaFlex integrable Tunable Laser Assembly. The products -- one a completely new iTLA offering L-band capability with in-service power adjustment, the second bringing in-service power adjustment to the existing C-band iTLA -- are designed to give vendors the flexibility and scalability they need to meet future network capacity demands, say company representatives.

"These new products extend Bookham's leadership in the development of next-generation tunable platforms," contends Jon White, product line manager for tunable sources at Bookham. "In order to cope with network demand and infrastructure requirements, telecom customers are repeatedly requesting L-band performance from tunable laser assemblies. The Bookham iTLA also now features an operational power adjustment mechanism to provide integration flexibility to compensate MZ insertion loss variation and channel leveling for in service use, providing customers with the necessary flexibility to manage their power budgets across new and legacy systems," he explains.

The new products build on the company's fixed power C-band iTLA. Differentiated by its fast tuning speed, the iTLA is fully qualified and in high-volume production at the company's manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China, confirm company representatives. Based on the OIF MSA outline, the laser and control electronics are premounted on a dedicated circuit board to ensure that customers can integrate the assembly with their systems as quickly as possible. According to the company, the product provides a number of market-leading functions, including narrow linewidth, internal frequency dither generation, direct input path for TX trace tone functionality, dark tuning, and field-programmable firmware.

"The combination of our high-capacity manufacturing capability with our proven high-performance lasers and modulators has enabled us to bring products to market that are cost-effective, reliable, and available in volume," adds White. "Our tunable laser capability is forming the core building block of the next generation of small form factor products; by combining the laser with the company's leading InP modulators, Bookham can offer an unrivaled footprint in a single transmitter package, dramatically reducing size and complexity for our customers," he asserts.

Unlike many competing technologies, the Bookham tunable laser is built on a single InP optical chip with no moving parts -- a design that is patent protected, says the company. This enables extremely fast tuning times and ensures excellent reliability, comparable to that offered by legacy DFB lasers, note Bookham representatives. It also brings cost-effective wideband tunability to long haul and regional metro applications.

The Bookham tunable portfolio is RoHS compliant.

The L-band iTLA will be on display, alongside a live demonstration of the C-band capability for the first time at the Fibre Optics Expo (FOE) in Tokyo this week. The product will be demonstrated on the stand of Japanese distributor JLC.