Electro-Optic Polymer Modulators
Specifications
20 Gbps |
40 Gbps |
100 Gbps |
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| Optical | min | max | min | max | min | max |
| S 21 E-O Bandwidth* | 16 GHz | 19 GHz | 35 GHz | 40 GHz | 65 GHz | 75 GHz |
| DC Extinction Ratio | 15 dB | 20 dB | 15 dB | 20 dB | 15 dB | 25 dB |
| Wavelength Range | 1528 nm | 1610 nm | 1528 nm | 1610 nm | 1528 nm | 1610 nm |
| Insertion Loss | 10 dB | 12 dB | 7 dB | 8 dB | 5 dB | 7 dB |
| Electrical | min | max | min | max | min | max |
| Vπ at 3 KHz | 0.9 V | 1.3 V | 1.8 V | 2.3 V | 5 V | 6.5 V |
| Return Loss | 10 dB (0-20 GHz) |
12 dB (0-20 GHz) |
10 dB (0-40 GHz) |
12 dB (0-40 GHz) |
9 dB (0-65 GHz) |
15 dB (0-65 GHz) |
| Impedance | 50 Ω | 50 Ω | 50 Ω | 50 Ω | 50 Ω | 50 Ω |
| Bias Current** | 0 | 50 mA | 0 | 70 mA | 0 | 100 mA |
| Connectors and Fiber Options | ||||||
| Input Fiber | PMF | PMF | PM | |||
| Output Fiber | SMF 28 or PMF | SMF 28 or PMF | SMF 28 or PM | |||
| RF Connection(mm) | V, K (2.4, 2.9) | V, K (2.4, 2.9) | TBD | |||
| Bias Connection | Pins*** | |||||
| Package Dimensions(mm) | 15 x 11 x 93 | 15 x 11 x 60 | TBD | |||
| Options | 2xRF Connectors*** 4xRF Connectors |
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* Reference at 1 GHz
** required to operate quadrature *** with in package termination |
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About Our Modulators
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(Click the Play Button) Slow connection? The light version is available here. |
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Information Overload
As digital data rates increase, the need for high bandwidth, linear response devices also increases. The problem with common crystalline materials is that parameters such as power consumption and bandwidth become compromised as data rates approach 50Gbps. 40Gbps deployments are currently underway. As current technology struggles to keep up with these increasing data rates, workarounds are necessary which become increasingly complex and expensive.
Performance Polymers
Polymer-based devices are the key to keeping up with demand, and offer vast improvements in bandwidth, distance, and consumption. If the associated systems and subsystems are designed to address 40Gbps using electro-optic polymer-based modulators now, future deployments of higher data rate systems will be greatly facilitated.
Nanotechnology to the Rescue
Lumera’s polymer materials are designed and synthesized at the molecular level to have properties needed for optimum electro-optic functionality. This enables our electro-optic polymer modulators to combine the fastest switching speeds with the lowest drive voltages and optical losses in the industry.
Yeah, but...
Many concerns regarding the use of polymers in optical networking modules and systems have been expressed, mostly concerning reliability. Lumera’s electro-optic polymer materials have been proven to be thermally stable, as well as being stable in the presence of high levels of optical power. The devices are hermetically sealed, thus outgassing is not a concern. Full Telcordia qualification is underway.
Easy Integration
Optical devices made from polymer-based materials have a relatively small footprint, low power consumption, large bandwidth and high extinction ratio. Because they are fabricated on silicon substrates, they can also be integrated with other devices, such as the laser, the driver and other optical and electronic devices.
Features
- Electro-Optic Polymer Waveguides
- Dual Drive
- Low Power Consumption
- High Extinction Ratio
- Large Bandwidth
- No Radiation Damage
- Small Footprint
Applications
Lumera’s modulators are suitable for all digital formats commonly used in optical networking and optical transmission applications. Additionally, due to the high bandwidth and highly linear response, these modulators are suitable for analog applications. Examples of both types of applications are listed as follows:
- All SONET and Ethernet, and future Fiber Channel applications:
- VSR through ULH reaches
- 20Gbps to 100Gbps serial data rates
- line cards and subsystems for high capacity optical transport systems
- standard and custom optical modules and transponders
- 20Ghz through 100Ghz analog modulation
- free space optical transmission
- CATV
- satellite communications
Solutions for Optical Interconnects
Is it hot in here?
Current technologies that translate electric signals into optical signals generally rely on inorganic electro-optic materials which have speed limitations and require higher operating voltages. Metal interconnects become more problematic as processor speeds continue to increase. In particular, with increasing speed, heat transfer becomes a serious issue to address, requiring expensive cooling solutions.
Come into the light.
Unlike metal interconnects, polymer-based interconnects can operate at higher circuit speeds by optically transmitting data between computer components and systems. Because the data is being transferred via light, the heat transfer issue is resolved.
Lumera’s cutting-edge active electro-optic polymer technology is a proven key enabling factor in the design and cost-effective implementation of very high speed electro-optic modulators and optical interconnects. These optical interconnects can be integrated in classical CMOS and BiCMOS process environments either internally or externally.
Active electro-optic materials enable devices which facilitate fast, inexpensive, and extremely reliable exchanges of information within next-generation computer systems.
Photonic circuits and photonic integrated circuits (PIC's) have extremely large information capacities due to:
- very high propagation speeds/broad bandwidth enabled by the use of optics
- propagation takes place at the speed of light
- optical interconnection is independent of the number of components receiving the signals
- lack of capacitive effects in optical systems
- the fact that bandwidths are 6 orders of magnitude higher than in electrical systems
- low heat generation/reduced power constraints
- immunity to crosstalk and electromagnetic interference
- increased flexibility
- optical beams can pass through each other without interaction
- they are also not constrained to planar paths