NeoPhotonics showcasing lasers and components for 400G EML and silicon photonics-based data-center links

In booth 426 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2018) in Rome, Italy (24-26 September), NeoPhotonics Corp of San Jose, CA, USA (a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of hybrid photonic integrated optoelectronic modules and subsystems for high-speed communications networks) is showcasing its suite of lasers and analog ICs for uncooled, non-hermetic single-laser 100G and 4-laser 400G links within data centers. The product suite includes electro-absorptively modulated lasers (EML) for 2km PAM4-based links and high-power continuous-wave (CW) laser sources for 0.5 and 2km silicon photonics-based links, along with the photodetectors, drivers and trans-impedance amplifiers (TIAs) required.

The demand for higher port density and lower cost per bit for optical connections inside the data center is driving a technology shift to single-laser (lambda) 100Gbps and 4-laser (lambda) 400Gbps using 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4), notes NeoPhotonics. EML-based solutions are preferred for longer-reach, higher-performance applications, and the firm says that its 53Gbaud family offers module designers a complete set of optical components with accompanying analog electronic chips designed to achieve high performance with low power consumption in small-form-factor applications. The 100G/400G component suite includes:

53GBaud uncooled CWDM4 EML, which includes the option for integration with NeoPhotonics’ open drain driver. With an uncooled operating temperature range of 20-70°C and the capability to operate reliably in ‘open-air’ transceiver designs (eliminating hermetic enclosures), this EML is a preferred transmitter solution for PAM4-based FR4 2km data-center applications. Versions are also available at 1310nm for DR1 and DR4 500m applications.
53GBaud open drain driver (ODD) for linear operation of EML lasers. With a typical 90mW of power consumption per channel and small size, this high-speed driver can be co-packaged with the EML (reducing power and increasing linearity) and is suited to use in small-form-factor pluggable modules.
53GBaud PIN photodetectors. The side-illumination structure of the PIN PD enables a simple coplanar assembly with a mux/demux chip and TIA and is well suited for compact modules.
53GBaud transimpedance amplifier (TIA). With low noise and a typical power consumption of 60mA over a 3.3V rail, this TIA is suited to receiver signal amplification for up to 10km transmission.

In addition, transceiver developers have begun deployment of silicon photonics-based transceivers for industry-standard multi-source agreements (MSAs) such as CWDM4, CLR4 and PSM-4, which has led to the need for custom, high-power and non-hermetic laser sources to drive these transceivers. To support this emerging silicon photonics eco-system, NeoPhotonics has developed and qualified a line of high-power, uncooled lasers and laser arrays for several industry-leading silicon photonics transceiver manufacturers, as well as offering single and quad drivers for silicon photonics modulators:

High-power 40mW and 70mW non-hermetic CW laser sources for silicon photonics-based CWDM4 FR4 and 1310nm DR1 and DR4 applications. These efficient, high-power distributed feedback (DFB) lasers can operate up to 75°C and have completed the non-hermetic testing compliant with the Telcordia GR-468-CORE, making them suited to use in non-hermetic silicon photonics-based small-form-factor pluggable modules.
53GBaud quad MZM drivers for silicon photonics modulators. This quad driver has a high 3.5Vppd output per channel and a typical 2.2W low power consumption for all four channels designed for small-form-factor pluggable modules. This component is also available in single-driver configurations for DR1 applications.

“Our complete suite of 53GBaud linear optical components provides all needed optical components for single-laser 100Gbps transmitters and receivers, scalable to 400Gbps transceivers with CWDM4 wavelengths,” says chairman & CEO Tim Jenks. “Furthermore, our uncooled, high-power CW DFB lasers and laser arrays are critical elements for any 100G, 200G or 400G silicon photonics-based transceiver,” he adds. “We are pleased to offer the lasers and critical analog electrical components for both next-generation data-center transceiver approaches.”

Also at ECOC, in the Exhibition Market Focus session ‘Optical Network Agility/Software Defined Networks’ on 25 September (16:10pm), NeoPhotonics’ CTO systems Dr Winston Way is presenting a paper ‘Next-Generation Coherent Pluggable Transceivers in a CDC ROADM Based Optical Network’.

Tags: NeoPhotonics PICs 400G

Visit: www.ecoc2018.org

Visit: www.neophotonics.com