Optical Networking Trial Utilizes 1400 nm Fiber Transmission Band
Source: Compound Semiconductor staff
Lucent Technologies, Canoga Perkins and the University of Washington are to conduct the first optical networking trial that will utilize the 1400 nm optical fiber transmission band. The trial, which will take place later this year, will use Canoga Perkins wideband WDM optical networking system and Lucent s AllWaveTM fiber. The trial is intended to increase bandwidth in existing networks between the University of Washington and Pacific/Northwest Gigapop, a Northwest US Internet applications cooperative connecting universities, research institutions and R&D enterprises to national research networks.
Canoga Perkins first introduced its new 6000 Series WWDM earlier this year, using Lucent s AllWave fiber to demonstrate optical transmission in the 1400 nm region, which is a previously untapped wavelength region. Standard single-mode fibers transmit signals in two windows, one centered at 1310 nm and the other at 1550 nm. At 1310 nm the signal experiences low attenuation and almost zero dispersion, while in the 1550 nm window the attenuation is even lower but dispersion is high, requiring the use of lasers with closely controlled wavelengths, or dispersion-shifted fiber.
Between the two transmission windows in standard fiber is an attenuation peak, centered at around 1400 nm, which is due to absorption by water molecules in the fiber. Lucent developed AllWave optical fiber using a new ultra-purifying manufacturing method to eliminate water molecules inherent during the production process, providing a fiber with no water peak. By providing more available wavelengths for transmission, this should increase the capacity of high-speed optical networks by 50% compared to conventional single mode fiber.
AllWave is optimized for WDM transmission in metropolitan optical networks and CATV applications. Lucent says the new fiber provides more wavelengths, but also those near 1400 nm are in an optimum dispersion region for economically carrying high-speed (10 Gb/s and beyond) signals.
© 2000 Franklin Publishing. All rights reserved.
