Flexible channel spacing for optical filter

Silicon Light Machines has developed a reconfigurable blocking filter that provides dynamic wavelength management capabilities for dense wave-division multiplexing optical networks.

Silicon Light Machines has developed a reconfigurable blocking filter (RBF) that provides dynamic wavelength management capabilities for dense wave-division multiplexing (DWDM) optical networks.

Designed for use in reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs), the SLM 3000 RBF blocks any or all wavelengths, offering complete agility and control up to 80 channels at either 50 or 100GHz channel spacing.

"Reconfigurable system architectures that facilitate rapid network optimisation are critical to the future health of telecom service providers", said Tom Werner, CEO of Silicon Light Machines.

"Next-generation networks will rely on ROADMs for either mesh or all-optical, ring-to-ring reconfigurability.

Silicon Light Machines' new RBF enables ROADMs that can block or pass any and all channels, providing the ultimate flexibility and allowing for more efficient use of fibre infrastructure".

Compared with traditional static add/drop multiplexers (in which the number of channels that can be added or dropped is fixed), ROADMs use tunable components to allow network operators to selectively add or drop any channel or group of channels by remotely reconfiguring the system with a keystroke.

All-optical modules, such as the RBF, eliminate costly optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversions and provides the dynamic functionality to enable future optical networks.

Compared with alternative products on the market, most of which only support 100GHz channel spacing, Silicon Light Machines' RBF provides customers with complete control over any channel in the C and L band, with either 50 or 100GHz spacing.

In addition, its compact size makes it more attractive for space-constrained systems providers to implement.

The SLM 3000 RBF uses patented Grating Light Valve (GLV) technology - a diffractive optical microelectromechanical system (MEMS) composed of a series of ribbons on the surface of a silicon chip.

The scalability and reconfigurability of the GLV device make it well suited for dynamic wavelength management applications that maximise optical networking infrastructure.

Silicon Light Machines has already implemented the GLV architecture in its DGE 2200 dynamic gain equaliser.

Customers can use the same easy-to-use interface to perform power management functions in the DGE and switching management functions in the RBF.

The SLM 3000 reconfigurable blocking filter will be available to customers in the fourth quarter of 2002.

It will be sold through the Cypress Semiconductor sales channel.

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