JDSU Advances Tunable 'Transmitter-on-a-Chip' Technology
September 05 2007 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Successfully Demonstrates Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) that
Enables Dramatically Smaller Tunable Laser Solutions for Service
Provider Networks MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- JDSU, a leading enabler of broadband and optical innovation,
today announced it has successfully demonstrated a photonic
integrated circuit (PIC) that combines a tunable laser and optical
modulator, using a technology known as the Integrated Laser Mach
Zehnder (ILMZ). The new PIC will allow JDSU to develop smaller,
higher performance and more cost-effective tunable solutions that
support faster network speeds. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/AQW063) (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050913/SFTU125LOGO) Tunable
lasers are a key element required for the successful deployment of
agile optical networks (AON). AONs are deployed by service
providers to scale network infrastructures and replace slow, manual
operations with simplified, dynamic network solutions that can
quickly respond to fluctuating traffic traveling over fiber optic
networks. Research firm CIR predicts that the market for tunable
lasers will prosper over the next five years, with compound annual
growth of 37 percent and a total market value of nearly $1 billion
by 2012. JDSU's ILMZ-based tunable laser solutions will take up
significantly less space in service providers' network equipment
racks and use less power, in turn reducing data center rental costs
and power bills. "At JDSU, we believe that a more compact and
integrated approach toward tunable lasers is critical as service
providers strive for greater efficiency in their networks," said
Alex Schoenfelder, vice president and general manager of Integrated
Photonics at JDSU. "Integration at the PIC level will help to lower
costs and enable high-volume manufacturing that allows us to best
serve our customers as network demands continue to increase."
Smaller Form Factors that Leverage Photonic Integration The new PIC
includes a widely tunable laser and Mach Zehnder modulator on a
single chip that is small enough to fit on the tip of a finger. It
will be incorporated into full-band tunable transponders and
transceivers within compact packages, such as the 300-PIN small
form factor (SFF) and pluggable small form factors (XFP) starting
in 2008. The new technology also enables JDSU to support
transmission speeds greater than 11.3 Gigabits per second and is
scalable to support 40G networks. JDSU leveraged its years of
expertise at photonic integration to develop the new PIC. Photonic
integration technology uses semiconductor processes to form the
materials and structures of the desired photonic circuit on a
semiconductor wafer. The wafer is then sliced into hundreds of
chips, each containing a circuit. After testing, each chip is
incorporated into the appropriate product package. This expertise,
combined with a sophisticated manufacturing approach is what
enables JDSU to incorporate high levels of functionality into tiny
chips for many of its optical products, avoiding unnecessary
packaging. History of Tunable Lasers Recent and dramatic growth in
data, voice and video traffic over dense wavelength division
multiplexing (DWDM) networks has stimulated demand for tunable
lasers, a key element of AONs, as service providers upgrade
components within their networks to support more capacity. AONs are
based on "dynamic reconfigurability," which allows service
providers to simplify network management and optimize network
activity by using flexible optical equipment. Tunable lasers
provide dynamic reconfigurability by allowing network operators to
switch from one wavelength to another on demand, easing the cost of
purchasing, storing and managing spare devices for wavelength
management. Before the advent of tunable lasers, service providers
used fixed wavelength lasers, which meant holding expensive
inventory to support each wavelength. The overhead associated with
managing this inventory was difficult at all levels of the supply
chain. Since wavelength activity could not be predicted, providers
would often face supply shortages for specific wavelengths,
compromising the bandwidth capacity of the network. Today, a single
tunable laser can cover nearly a hundred 50 GHz spaced channels in
a DWDM system. They can either be used as a universal source to
support a particular wavelength, or can be switched to support
different wavelengths on demand. JDSU's new PIC solutions with ILMZ
technology will further streamline network management and reduce
costs for service providers by providing tunable laser solutions in
smaller form factors. About JDSU JDSU (Nasdaq: JDSU; and TSX: JDU)
is committed to enabling broadband & optical innovation in the
communications, commercial and consumer markets. JDSU is a leading
provider of communications test and measurement solutions and
optical products for telecommunications service providers, cable
operators, and network equipment manufacturers. Furthermore, JDSU
is a leading provider of innovative optical solutions for
medical/environmental instrumentation, semiconductor processing,
display, brand authentication, aerospace and defense, and
decorative applications. More information is available at
http://www.jdsu.com/. Contact Information Investors: Michelle
Levine 408-546-4421 or The statements contained in this press
release that are not purely historical are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Such
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, any
statement or implication that the products described in this press
release (i) will be successfully introduced or marketed, (ii) will
be qualified and purchased by our customers, or (iii) will perform
to any particular specifications or performance or reliability
standards. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties that, if realized, could materially impair the
Company's results of operations, business, and financial condition.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (a)
the failure of the products (i) to perform as expected without
material defects, (ii) to be manufactured at acceptable.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070905/AQW063
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050913/SFTU125LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: JDSU CONTACT: Noel
Bilodeau, +1-408-546-4567, , or Investors, Michelle Levine,
+1-408-546-4421, , both of JDSU Web site: http://www.jdsu.com/
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