2024-03-17 14:50:13
In a breakthrough in optical communications, researchers have demonstrated a compact indium phosphide-based coherent driver modulator (CDM) that exceeds existing transmission speeds and capabilities. This innovation enables more efficient data transmission over the C+L band, and significantly improves the ability of optical networks to support the growing demand for high bandwidth services. (artist concept). Credit: twoday.co.il.com
A new indium phosphide-based modulator achieves unprecedented bit rates, ensuring faster data transmission.
As data traffic increases, there is an urgent need for smaller optical transmitters and receivers capable of handling complex multi-level modulation formats and achieving higher data transmission speeds.
In an important step toward fulfilling this requirement, researchers have developed a new compact indium phosphide (InP)-based coherent driver modulator (CDM) and shown that it can achieve high peak rate and all-wavelength transmission capability compared to other CDMs.
CDMs are optical transmitters used in optical communication systems that can put information into light by modulating the amplitude and phase before transmitting it through an optical fiber.
The importance of improved data transfer
“Services that require data capacity, such as video distribution and web conferencing services, have become common, and services that further enrich our lives are expected to be introduced in the future,” said Josuke Ozaki of NTT Innovative Devices Corporation in Japan.
“In order to realize the new services, it is very important to increase the total data rate of optical transmission systems that support the background. If the optical transmission capacity is insufficient, it will be difficult to realize convenient services and new data company. In addition, the development of an optical transmitter that covers the C+ band L in a single module enables flexible network operation and reduces equipment costs.
Photo of CDM. Credit: Josuke Ozaki, NTT Innovative Devices Corporation
Ozaki will present this research at OFC, the world’s leading optical communications and networking event, which will be held as a hybrid event March 24-28, 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Advances in data transfer speed
One measure of data transfer speed is the baud rate, which indicates the number of signal changes that occur each second on a communication channel. With higher transmission rates, the bandwidth of the modulation signal required for each channel increases and fewer channels can be transmitted in the normal C-band. This makes it even more important to expand the wavelength bandwidth from the C-band to the L-band, which is collectively referred to as the C+L-band.
Although modulators made of the InP semiconductor have excellent optical and radio frequency properties, they exhibit a strong wavelength dependence that has made it difficult to extend their wavelength range.
To overcome this challenge, the researchers developed a novel InP modulator chip with an optimized semiconductor layer and waveguide structure that can operate over a wide wavelength range. By using the new modulator chip, they achieved the world’s first CDM with an InP modulator chip that can transmit in the C+L band and has a package body of only 11.9 × 29.8 × 4.35 mm3.
Record-breaking transmission capacity
In the C+L band, the new CDM exhibited a 3dB electro-optical bandwidth of more than 90 GHz, a maximum transmission insertion loss of less than 8 dB and an extinction ratio of 28dB or more. The researchers also experimentally implemented their new CDM using 180 Gbaud signals in the form of a constellation of 144 levels of source amplitude modulation (PCS-144QAM), demonstrating an unprecedented net bit rate of 1.8 Tbps over 80 km of standard single-mode fiber in C+ L band. According to the authors of the study, this is the first time that an InP-based CDM has been demonstrated to operate in the C+L bands and the world-record all-wavelength transmission capability for CDM has been reported
Alpha samples of the CDM are ready to ship from NTT Innovative Devices Corporation.
“The next step is to further increase the transmission rate to a higher transmission speed,” Ozaki said. “Thus, it is important to find the new structure and assembly configuration of the modulator, including driver cube and package, which can achieve higher EO bandwidth with lower power consumption and smaller format.
Meeting: Optics Fiber Communication (OFC) conference and exhibition
#Breaking #barriers #data #speed #record #set #fiber #optics