Oclaro to Show Lasers for Access and Wireless Networks at ECOC 2018
Oclaro, an optical communications company, has announced availability of its full suite of high-speed lasers for access and wireless networks.
Designed to meet the high-performance and rigorous environmental conditions of access deployments, these lasers include a 25 Gbps uncooled Industrial-temperature (I-temp) rated Direct Modulated DFB laser (DML) chip, 10 Gbps high-power I-temp DML laser chip and new electro-absorption modulated (EML) lasers that also service data centre applications.
To meet growing customer demand for these lasers and in anticipation of the future ramp of 5G optical links, Oclaro has recently expanded its production capacity by investing in new wafer fab equipment in its Japan and UK production facilities.
"Network upgrades to the current access infrastructure will require a new generation of low-cost, robust, and high-speed lasers that can withstand the rigorous requirements demanded by deployments in outdoor enclosures and uncontrolled temperature nodes," said Walter Jankovic, president of Oclaro's Optical Connectivity Business Unit.
"Oclaro has designed its lasers specifically to deliver a higher level of performance over wide operating temperature ranges and support critical features such as PAM4 modulation. These lasers are expected to be critical components to support the introduction of 5G wireless networks by enabling customers to upgrade their wireless fronthaul links from 10 Gbps to 25 Gbps to 50 Gbps."
The 25 Gbps uncooled DML chip is capable of operating at high temperature up to 95C. By using this laser, transceiver suppliers will not have to mount an expensive, power-hungry thermoelectric cooler inside the SFP28 I-temp. In addition, the high bandwidth of the Oclaro DML chip enables 50 Gbps PAM4 waveforms to be obtained with 5 dB Extinction Ratio and TDECQ values of less than 2.0dB. These features enable the laser to operate in 50GbE transceivers such as SFP56 or QSFP28.
The 10 Gbps high-power I-temp DML laser chip is designed for carriers currently upgrading the data rate to 10 Gbps as per the new XGS-PON/10GE-PON standards. By enhancing its DML waveguide design, Oclaro has been able to deliver a 10 Gbps high-power 1270nm DML chip for ONU equipment for XGS-PON/10GE-PON. Key differentiators of this laser chip are its high optical output power (15mW at 95C) and high bandwidth (more than 15GHz).
Oclaro's EML designs are capable of high-speed operation for 100 Gbps PAM4 using an extremely high-bandwidth modulator. Oclaro EMLs have passed the rigorous damp heat operating and storage requirements of GR-468, making them an attractive option for coolerless operation over typical data center temperature ranges. These lasers do not require hermetic packaging, saving cost over other lasers requiring hermetic TOSA designs. Oclaro is also developing new 10Gbps EMLs for downstream PON applications and will be working with access market architects and transceiver manufacturers to bring these products to market.
