Product category:
Lasers
News Release from: Southampton Photonics | Subject: BragNetT FBGs
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 13 February 2001
Narrow-separation FBGs increase fibre
capacity
Southampton Photonics has shipped what are believed to be the first commercially available 25GHz-channel-separation fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs).
Southampton Photonics has shipped what are believed to be the first commercially available 25GHz-channel-separation fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) The BragNetT FBGs were shipped to a major fibre-optic systems vendor and involve a patented technology breakthrough which enables the number of wavelengths of light that can be sent down a single fibre-optic cable to be increased, thereby expanding network capacity and lowering operator costs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 Jul 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Fibre Bragg gratings increase channel capacity
Southampton Photonics has formally launched its BragNet family of fibre Bragg gratings, claimed to be the most advanced of their type.
Tiny multichannel dispersion compensating grating
Southampton Photonics has released the smallest available multichannel dispersion compensating grating (DCG).
FBGs are components vital for filtering, routing, and conditioning the individual wavelengths of light that carry data down a single fibre cable in a process known as Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM).
More accurate FBGs, ie with lower channel separations, allow a greater number of wavelengths, and therefore more data to be transported over the network.
Current FBGs achieve channel separations of 100 and 50GHz.
The patented design and fabrication technique developed by Southampton Photonics not only produces the most accurate FBGs available, but automates the time-intensive design and production processes.
This enables the company to speed up grating production dramatically and produce standard and customised FBGs in high volume and record time: a few days versus 6-8 weeks.
"We are pleased to announce the first shipments of 25GHz new-technology high-precision fibre Bragg gratings", said Don Spalinger, President and cofounder of Southampton Photonics.
"Our new automated process allows us to design very precise, low distortion gratings quickly while letting us customize to high volume.
We believe it will prove an invaluable benefit to our customers and a key differentiator for our company".
The new Southampton Photonics process has tremendous implications for the optical components market, which is experiencing intense demand and short supply.
Telecom market researchers Ryan Hankin and Kent (RHK) predict that the North American market for DWDM components, which reached $3.5 billion in 1999, will continue to grow at 50% a year and become a $24 billion market by 2004.
By establishing itself as a leader in this growing market, Southampton Photonics is aiming to become the standard ingredient in any high-performance DWDM system.
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