Alcatel-Lucent disclosed three new innovations in optoelectronics in three post-deadline papers accepted at this week's European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication (ECOC) in Berlin. These include:
- a novel compact optoelectronic receiver for differential quadrature phase-shift keying (DQPSK) reception, which may ultimately contribute to reducing the cost and size of high-data-rate advanced-modulation-format optical transceivers. In contrast to the current generation of receiver technologies where multiple components must be connected together with precise path lengths in order to support advanced modulations formats, this technology integrates an optical demodulator and four photodiodes on a single 3.2 mm x 0.8 mm InP (Indium Phosphide)-based chip -- producing a single integrated optoelectronic device that has a footprint that is more than two orders of magnitude smaller than today's typical DQPSK receivers. This was developed at Bell Labs.
- the first integrated version of a laser and an electro-absorption modulator (EML) with a record bandwidth of 60 GHz. Alcatel-Lucent said this result is a major step toward the next generation 100 Gbps source for Very Short Reach (VSR) transmission. In addition, it is seen as a potential low cost approach because the company has also demonstrated its high operating temperature capability (43 Gbps up to 70°C, IPRM'07) This was developed at Alcatel-Thales III-V lab, France.
- a 42 GHz mode-locked laser source with a record wavelength tunability of 16nm, keeping constant both the output power and the narrow pulse width of 2 picoseconds. These performances have been reached thanks to a new active layer made of Quantum Dots. In addition, the optical pulses are Fourier-transform limited, which is quite suitable for propagation in the fiber : these features make such a laser very attractive for very high bit rate tunable optical transmission. This was developed at Alcatel-Thales III-V lab, France.
