Princeton Lightwave unleashes 1-Watt power level for 1480 and 14xx pump lasers
Designed for long-haul optical network applications, PLI’s WavePower™ pump laser platform features high power with high stability and reliability. This enables longer transmission distances without optical regeneration, leading to more bandwidth at lower network costs.
“PLI has raised the bar for the industry with their record-breaking results,” said Tom Hausken, senior analyst at Strategies Unlimited. “The achievement suggests opportunities for reducing the parts count for both shared and conventional optical amplifier applications.”
Achievement of record power levels across the 1400-1500 nm wavelength range demonstrates PLI’s unique ability to address customer needs for both EDFA and Raman pumps. Higher optical powers provide increased gain amplification leading to a reduced number of pumps, thereby decreasing product costs and manufacturing complexity while providing increased bandwidth. Further, higher optical powers provide amplifier manufacturers with more choices and greater system flexibility. For example, one module at 500 mW can replace two current 250 mW modules, so fewer components are required.
The 1-watt breakthrough is due to the advanced structure developed by PLI’s engineering research team. Led by Dr. Dmitri Garbuzov, this group is considered one of the most experienced laser engineering teams in the industry. Over the past decade, the PLI team has developed deep expertise and a rich IP portfolio pertaining to high power lasers based on the Indium Phosphide platform.
Power To Spare
In addition to manufacturing the highest power laser chips, PLI’s proprietary design platform also provides excellent power stability by packaging all of the optical components on the same temperature-stabilized platform. With ‘power to spare’, PLI enables module customers to get all the optical energy they need, while simultaneously designing for other key features, such as improved alignment tolerances, power stability and linearity, coupled with excellent reliability.
“We strongly believe that the market for 1480 and14xx nm pump lasers will surpass the market for 980 nm pump lasers for EDFA and Raman amplifiers in long and ultra-long haul networks,” said Swami Srinivasan, Product Line Manager at PLI. “With our high power laser design, robust manufacturing process, and high stability optical packaging, PLI enables a significantly lower cost per photon than can be achieved with 980 nm pump lasers, with power to spare.”
Product Features
PLI’s WavePower product family of pumps are sampling in the 1350 nm-1510 nm wavelength range for Raman amplification in the S, C, and L bands, and are sampling in the 1460 nm-1490 nm wavelength range for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). High volume production will begin in the fourth quarter of 2001. The products are offered on an Indium-Phosphide based platform in two formats: chip-on-carrier and modules in a standard 14-pin butterfly package. Other options include FBG stabilization, isolation, and polarization-maintaining fiber.
