Quantifi Photonics debuts Laser 1300 Series CW-WDM MSA compliant test source

March 2, 2023

The instrument leverages Ayar Labs’ SuperNova laser technology to offer a multi-port, multi-wavelength light source within a standardized PXIe module.

Stephen Hardy

The Laser-1301 is the first in the new Laser 1300 Series of CW-WDM MSA-compliant test instruments.

Quantifi Photonics has announced the Laser 1300 Series CW-WDM MSA-compliant laser test source. The instrument leverages Ayar Labs’ SuperNova laser technology to offer a multi-port, multi-wavelength light source within a standardized PXIe module.

The Laser 1300 Series offers synchronized triggering, a small footprint, simple integration, and the company’s CohesionUI software interface. The first model in the line, the Laser-1301, features eight channels, with eight CW-WDM MSA-compatible wavelengths. Technicians can pair the Laser-1301 with other of the company’s existing PXIe-based product line to build out a complete CW-WDM8 test resource, says Quantifi. Such PXIe-based building blocks include the Laser-1226 and Laser-1227 (modules with individually controllable wavelengths at the MSA grid), Passive-1024 (CW-WDM8 multiplexer), Passive-1025 (CW-WDM8 demultiplexer), and the OSA-1001 (an optical spectrum analyzer that covers the CW-WDM range).

The Laser 1300 Series is designed to enable the characterization of photonic integrated circuits for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and high-density optics applications as well as provide a scalable, reproducible light source for mass production testing.

Meanwhile, the SuperNova is part of Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics offering (see “Ayar Labs partners with GLOBALFOUNDRIES for optical I/O demo, expanded sampling for co-packaged optics”).

“We are excited to partner with Ayar Labs and admire their trail-blazing technology that will unlock the potential of AI and HPC systems,” commented Kees Propstra, vice president, marketing, and general manager of Quantifi Photonics USA. “It’s well known that the external light source is a critical component of the co-packaged optics ecosystem. By combining the SuperNova CW-WDM-compliant light source with our proven PXIe-based optical test platform, we can offer a CW-WDM capable test platform to serve the growing demand in the market and enable the testing and validation of PIC-based optical interconnects and accelerate adoption across the industry.”

"This is a great example of what the CW-WDM MSA wanted to accomplish by publishing the first specification; the development of commercial laser sources for high wavelength count applications,” said Chris Cole, chair of the CW-WDM MSA. “We are now ready to start considering our next step, which is the development and publication of link specifications."

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.