Wavelength Lockers See a New Light
Next-generation optical networks can now take advantage of a new wavelength locker that is purported to give tunable transmitters the necessary channel boundaries required within carrier-class optical equipment. Here you can read allabout Bandwidth9's latest offering in this marketplace.
Bandwidth9, a leading manufacturer of optical components and subsystems, has announced the introduction of what they describe as a breakthrough wavelength locker that guides and stabilizes optical light sources within 50 GHz ITU grid spacings. Considered an essential component for next-generation optical networks deploying high channel capacity within metro area infrastructures, the locker is purportedly the first of its kind. Incorporating both absolute ITU grid referencing and 50 GHz ITU grid spacings, the locker gives tunable transmitters the necessary channel boundaries required within carrier-class optical equipment.
Bandwidth9 claims that their wavelength lockers are the first of their kind in the metro Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) industry. They supply dual-mode locking capabilities by providing exact C-band and L-band reference frequencies, as well as the capability to lock on ITU grid intervals. Other products require two separate lockers to achieve this. With the emergence of tunable optical networks, the need for precisely determining the location of the dynamically adjusted light sources has become a consideration for using tunable lasers in virtually all forms of protocol within DWDM systems and related applications.
The dual-mode wavelength locker is designed to operate within the company's MetroFlex tunable optical transmitter module, based on vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) technology. Using this technology, the Bandwidth9 tunable transmitter may be tuned and locked precisely on the ITU grid or may be variably offset from the ITU grid.
