NeoPhotonics Announces New Variable Power Intradyne Coherent Receiver (VICR) for High-Capacity 100G Optical Networks
New VICR is Designed to Improve Signal-to-Noise Ratio and
Increase Coincident Channel Count in “Colorless” 100G Coherent Systems
100G Variable Power Intradyne Coherent Receiver (VICR).
March 15, 2013
ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 15, 2013-- NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN), a leading designer and
manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high speed
communications networks, today announced a new 100G Variable Power Intradyne Coherent Receiver (VICR).
The PIC-based VICR integrates a variable optical attenuator (VOA) on the signal path and is designed to increase dynamic range and
improve the optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) for both single channel and multiple coincident signals. This capability is
designed to enable service providers to better manage network capacity in colorless coherent networks. NeoPhotonics is currently
sampling the VICR and expects to enter general availability with this product in the second half of 2013.
Core networks are rapidly moving towards more efficient “colorless” operation, meaning that ROADM add and drop ports are not
limited to fixed predetermined wavelength channels. Instead, a tunable transmitter can connect any wavelength to any add port and
the ROADM can route any wavelength to any drop port receiver. Colorless operation improves the efficiency of valuable line cards
and transponders in coherent transport networks, where a single DWDM channel carries 100Gbps of information.
In coherent optical communications systems the colorless channel drop operation is enabled by using the local oscillator laser and
the VICR to select the receive channel, eliminating the need for a terminal optical filter. The VICR then detects the signal
channel to which the local oscillator laser is matched, but all other channels are outside the device bandwidth. In colorless
applications the remaining channels are not filtered out optically, so the incoming signal power to the VICR can vary significantly
depending on how many other channels are present, resulting in up to 100 times higher power falling on the receiver than in the
single channel case. The NeoPhotonics VICR integrates a PIC variable optical attenuator that provides control and stability to the
input signal. In both colorless and conventional optically filtered systems, the VOA also improves performance by allowing system
selection of the optimal operating point to enhance OSNR and reduce the effects of optical impairments such as polarization
dependent loss (PDL).
“We are pleased to add the VICR to our extensive line of PIC based intradyne coherent receivers,” said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO
of NeoPhotonics. “The VICR illustrates the power of photonic integration to provide additional functionality to our existing
products, which are designed to benefit our customers with improved performance in the same form factor and simplified board
layouts.”
NeoPhotonics is a leading designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based optoelectronic modules and
subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed communications networks. The company’s products enable cost-effective,
high-speed data transmission and efficient allocation of bandwidth over communications networks. NeoPhotonics maintains
headquarters in San Jose, California and ISO 9001:2000 certified engineering and manufacturing facilities in Silicon Valley (USA)
and Shenzhen, China. For additional information, visit
www.neophotonics.com.
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