Cielo Communications Announces Technology Breakthrough with 12.5 Gbit/sec Shortwave VCSEL in Low Cost Optical Package
Packaged in an optical subassembly (OSA), the 850 nm VCSEL performs data transmission of 12.5 Gbit/sec over 300 meters of Lucent LazrSPEED™ multi-mode fiber
Broomfield, CO. Cielo Communications today announced technology innovations in the area of laser design and optical packaging. Cielo recently demonstrated an 850nm Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) operating at 12.5 Gbit/sec on link lengths of greater than 300 meters of Lucent LazrSPEED multi-mode fiber. The laser supports direct modulation and was packaged in a low-cost optical subassembly (OSA) designed to couple light efficiently into the new fiber. These Cielo innovations offer the promise of simplifying system design and lowering optical interconnect costs for applications requiring bandwidths in excess of 10 Gbit/sec.
"These technological achievements are the result of Cielo s commitment to the advancement of VCSEL technology and optical packaging," said Mike Cowley, president and CEO of Cielo Communications. "A 12.5 Gbit/sec shortwave VCSEL represents a significant cost reduction compared to current device technology used in opto-electronic solutions at this data rate. Target applications for this technology include optical backplanes in next-generation telecom equipment as well as next generation optical interconnect standards at 10 Gbit/sec and above."
The 850nm VCSEL/multimode fiber link combination has historically provided the most cost-effective optical link solution for high bandwidth applications. The demonstration of the Cielo VCSEL in combination with Lucent LazrSPEED commercial 50µm multimode fiber extends the low-cost serial link to 10 Gbit/sec and above applications.
Direct modulation of a laser at this data rate simplifies the optical interface design by eliminating the need for an external optical modulator and the corresponding input signals traditionally needed to achieve these modulation rates. This results in lower optical transceiver and system design costs and complexities.
Cielo leveraged its expertise in VCSEL design and optical packaging to move the packaging technology from the optical bench to low-cost sub-assembly packaging, producing a complete optical solution for a 12.5Gbit/sec VCSEL coupled to a multi-mode fiber. The OSA package is inexpensive yet stable enough to allow investigation of the long term BER of 10Gbit/sec VCSEL links. In initial performance tests, Cielo s high-speed 850 nm VCSEL performed data transmission in excess of 10 Gbit/sec over 300 meters of Lucent LazrSPEED fiber with a Bit Error Rate (BER) of better than 10^-14.
Lucent s LazrSPEED solution is the first multi-mode fiber backbone with 10 Gigabit capacity for enterprise networks. Bell Labs researchers designed the LazrSPEED solution to combine cost effective, next generation performance with previous-generation compatibility.
About Cielo Communications
Cielo Communications is an industry leader in the research, development, manufacturing and deployment of VCSEL technology and optical packaging. The Company s commitment to the advancement of VCSEL technology enables the broader adoption of cost-effective, gigabit-per-second fiber optic interconnect solutions in the data communications and telecommunications marketplace.
Cielo Communications is a privately held company backed by several major investor groups including Mayfield Fund, Menlo Ventures, Herb Alpert, HarbourVest, JAFCO, Triumph Capital, J.&W. Seligman and Kindon Capital.
Cielo Communications is headquartered at: 325 Interlocken Parkway, Building A, Broomfield, CO 80021, USA Phone: +1.303.464.2255 Fax: +1.303.466.0290 Email: inquiry@cieloinc.com http://www.cieloinc.com
Contact:
Bob Mayer
Cielo Communications
Tel: +1.303.460.0700
bmayer@cieloinc.com
or
Angela Edgerton
The Ardell Group
+1.858.792.2941
angela@ardellgroup.com
Bob Mayer
Cielo Communications
Tel: +1.303.460.0700
bmayer@cieloinc.com
or
Angela Edgerton
The Ardell Group
+1.858.792.2941
angela@ardellgroup.com
E-mail: angela@ardellgroup.com
Web site: http://www.cieloinc.com
