Product category:
Optical Filters, Lenses, Gratings etc
News Release from: Southampton Photonics | Subject: L-Band fibre amplifiers
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 18 July 2002
Fibre to cut the cost of L-Band
amplification
Southampton Photonics (SPI) is to enter the L-Band fibre amplifier market using its patented GTWave fibre to achieve radical cost savings over existing L-band amplifier technology.
Southampton Photonics (SPI) is to enter the L-Band fibre amplifier market using its patented GTWave fibre to achieve radical cost savings, typically 50% or better depending on the application, over existing L-band amplifier technology The move is in recognition of the growing importance and benefits of the L-Band spectrum in next-generation WDM (wave division multiplexing) fibre networking equipment
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The L-Band (1565 to 1605nm) is set to play an increasingly important role in upcoming WDM product releases where it offers a number of technical benefits over the C-Band (1525 to 1565nm).
Its flatter gain profile means less costly electronics for gain correction, and, being further away from zero dispersion wavelength means more dispersion and therefore lower four wave mixing (FWM).
These features offer carriers more system flexibility.
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It is predicted by RHK that by 2003 the L-Band will account for 14% of all gain modules (GMs).
A limit to this penetration has been the cost of the amplifiers due to an increase in the required pump powers.
SPI will use its patented GTWave specialty fibre to produce the L-Band GMs.
GTWave uses a central doped-core signal fibre around which one pump fibre is entwined.
It offers far better absorption of the pump source energy than other methods currently in use and is therefore capable of producing more efficient and higher power GMs.
Furthermore, while other GMs use standard EDFA technology which involves additional wavelength sources for spectral broadening and higher power, the GTWave amplifiers can operate with a single multimode source pump; the combination, therefore, of all-fibre construction and the reduced number of components results in SPI's amplifiers achieving better overall reliability and lower cost for its customers.
GTWave amplifiers can be easily incorporated into existing systems with footprints tailored to specific customer needs.
SPI's new CEO, Dr David Parker, who joined in April 2002 bringing 20 years' experience in exploiting optical technology with Marconi, HP and Agilent Technologies, commented, "The industry is rapidly recognising that L-Band can offer the carriers many benefits for next-generation WDM systems and this is an excellent time for us to enter this market.
Our proven GTWave technology can offer the carriers radical economics as well as pervasive powers and we fully intend to become a serious player in this space".
SPI will have samples of the amplifier available by Q4 2002 and general availability by Q1 2003.
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