May 11, 2004 San Jose, CA -- iolon Inc., supplier of tunable optical components, has introduced a swept-frequency laser (SLE) that delivers more than 55 nm of mode-hop-free continuous tuning, greater than 10-mW output power, and excellent single mode purity, say company representatives. The SLE is based on iolon's Telcordia-qualified widely tunable laser module and delivers telecom-grade reliability, providing many years of stable performance even in demanding environmental conditions.
"With the introduction of the SLE, iolon has extended its product platform to address a broad range of applications that previously has been the exclusive domain of bulky, delicate, and expensive benchtop tunable lasers," explains John Clark, president, CEO, and chairman of iolon Inc. "All iolon products leverage our MEMS and micro-optic assembly technologies that were developed to meet the stringent requirements of telecommunication systems. These technologies enable our new SLE to deliver an unmatched combination of optical performance, reliability, and low cost," he adds.
iolon has delivered swept-frequency lasers to Luna Energy, Luna Innovations, and Luna Technologies, each of which offers products serving different segments of the fiber-optic sensing and test and measurement markets.
"iolon's SLE represents a disruptive technology for the fiber-optic test and measurement marketplace," explains Mark Froggatt, chief technology officer of Luna Technologies. "By advancing the state of the art in field-deployable swept-frequency laser systems and dramatically lowering their cost, iolon has given us the ability going forward to expand our current product line and develop new products to address a broader marketplace."
The SLE is a miniaturized external cavity laser that packs high performance and reliability into a compact footprint, say company representatives. A self-contained unit that includes all necessary control and drive electronics with a simple, user-friendly command interface, the SLE is designed for rapid integration into any system. The SLE is ideally suited to a range of instrumentation, fiber-sensing, and test and measurement applications.
iolon will demo the SLE during CLEO/IQEC, in booth #130, May 18 - 20, 2004, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. iolon will also deliver a presentation about the SLE entitled "Mode-hop free sweep tuning of a MEMS-tuned external cavity semiconductor laser" at the conference on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 5:45 pm (Talk CWL2).