Mitsubishi Electric Unveils Three Advanced Optical Devices for 40 Gigabit / Second Transmission
Announcement posted by Mitsubishi Electric Australia 07 Feb 2002
Mitsubishi Electric has set a May 2002 product release for three new optical devices geared towards long-distance, high-capacity 40 gigabit / second optical transmission: a tunable dispersion equalizer, an optical modulator and an MEMS optical switch.
The tunable dispersion equalizer uses an original grating process to significantly reduce manufacturing errors in grating pitches. Leading the world with regards to group delay time properties, this product boasts a newly developed divided thin film heater that makes possible precision control of grating temperature distribution. As such, the equalizer offers the very highest chromatic dispersion control for 40 gigabit/second optical transmission systems.
The optical modulator uses an Fe-doped InP substrate as its base, the excellent insulating properties of which serve to cut parasitic capacitance. Furthermore, flip-chip bonding removes the need for wires connecting individual elements, allowing high-speed operations. For its part, the photodiode uses waveguide elements to bring parasitic capacitance down, and the flip-chip bonding on the preamp poles ties into high speed and high sensitivity.
The newly developed MEMS optical switch makes use of the flexibility of polymer waveguides to mechanically switch transmission routes. This innovative concept, based on the suitability of polymer waveguides to mass production, allows switches to offer a loss-less performance not attainable with past technologies. Switching scales up to 32 x 32 can be handled with the new switch.
These new devices are ideally suited not only to trunk optical network applications, but also to metro networks, in which significant growth is expected. LANs are among the other areas expected to incorporate the devices in the future.
Raising existing maximum optical transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second to 40 gigabits per second
Up until now, transmission speeds on trunk optical networks have been limited by a number of factors, ranging from the maximum speeds of semiconductor integrated circuits and optical devices to the waveform distortion caused by fiber dispersion. Limits on the throughputs of network node routers have also been a source for concern, given the tremendous increase in the volume of data being handled by networks.
It is in response to these needs that Mitsubishi Electric has developed a broad selection of sophisticated new optical devices. These serve to raise existing maximum optical transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second to 40 gigabits per second, and allow optical signals to be transmitted without being converted into other signal types.
Technical Summary
Tunable Dispersion Equalizer
- Original grating process reduces grating pitch errors.
- Best group delay time properties in the world.
- Innovative divided thin film heater allows precision in grating temperature distribution.
Optical Modulator/Photodiode
- Fe-doped InP substrate cuts parasitic capacitance.
- Flip-chip bonding removes the need for element-connecting wires, improving speed.
- Photodiode waveguide elements further cut parasitic capacitance.
- Flip-chip bonding on preamp poles boosts speed and sensitivity.
MEMS Optical Switch
- Mass-producible polymer waveguides mechanically switch transmission routes for loss-less performance.
- Switching scales of up to 32x32 can be handled.
The tunable dispersion equalizer uses an original grating process to significantly reduce manufacturing errors in grating pitches. Leading the world with regards to group delay time properties, this product boasts a newly developed divided thin film heater that makes possible precision control of grating temperature distribution. As such, the equalizer offers the very highest chromatic dispersion control for 40 gigabit/second optical transmission systems.
The optical modulator uses an Fe-doped InP substrate as its base, the excellent insulating properties of which serve to cut parasitic capacitance. Furthermore, flip-chip bonding removes the need for wires connecting individual elements, allowing high-speed operations. For its part, the photodiode uses waveguide elements to bring parasitic capacitance down, and the flip-chip bonding on the preamp poles ties into high speed and high sensitivity.
The newly developed MEMS optical switch makes use of the flexibility of polymer waveguides to mechanically switch transmission routes. This innovative concept, based on the suitability of polymer waveguides to mass production, allows switches to offer a loss-less performance not attainable with past technologies. Switching scales up to 32 x 32 can be handled with the new switch.
These new devices are ideally suited not only to trunk optical network applications, but also to metro networks, in which significant growth is expected. LANs are among the other areas expected to incorporate the devices in the future.
Raising existing maximum optical transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second to 40 gigabits per second
Up until now, transmission speeds on trunk optical networks have been limited by a number of factors, ranging from the maximum speeds of semiconductor integrated circuits and optical devices to the waveform distortion caused by fiber dispersion. Limits on the throughputs of network node routers have also been a source for concern, given the tremendous increase in the volume of data being handled by networks.
It is in response to these needs that Mitsubishi Electric has developed a broad selection of sophisticated new optical devices. These serve to raise existing maximum optical transmission speeds of 10 gigabits per second to 40 gigabits per second, and allow optical signals to be transmitted without being converted into other signal types.
Technical Summary
Tunable Dispersion Equalizer
- Original grating process reduces grating pitch errors.
- Best group delay time properties in the world.
- Innovative divided thin film heater allows precision in grating temperature distribution.
Optical Modulator/Photodiode
- Fe-doped InP substrate cuts parasitic capacitance.
- Flip-chip bonding removes the need for element-connecting wires, improving speed.
- Photodiode waveguide elements further cut parasitic capacitance.
- Flip-chip bonding on preamp poles boosts speed and sensitivity.
MEMS Optical Switch
- Mass-producible polymer waveguides mechanically switch transmission routes for loss-less performance.
- Switching scales of up to 32x32 can be handled.