Final Report Summary - MULTIWAVE (Cost-effective Multi-wavelength Laser System)
The deployment of wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) systems has allowed for unparalleled network upgrading in network capacity and transmission lengths. As WDM technology advances towards cost-sensitive metropolitan area networks (MAN) and even access networks, a major problem identified is the high complexity and cost of WDM transmitters. WDM test and network architectures currently rely on large banks of continuous-wave lasers or DFB lasers, which are often tuneable in wavelength. Each single laser source acts as an optical source for a single wavelength (channel), requiring its own drive electronics and current / temperature controlling. Aside from the high initial cost of this approach, upgrading such high capacity WDM network means adding a laser source for each additional channel required leading to unacceptable installation cost.
The aim of MULTIWAVE was to develop an enabling key component, allowing network operators to meet current and future demands in bandwidth for much lower cost than with today's state-of-the art technology. The multi-wavelength laser system, developed within the frame of MULTIWAVE, will replace banks of single wavelength lasers (100 lasers or more) with a single plug-and-play device, therefore reducing the cost per channel of future DWDM systems, the complexity of the DWDM system architecture and relaxing the demands on power budget, inventory and space requirements. MULTIWAVE will provide the telecommunication industry a versatile tool for a broad range of applications. The most evident application with the highest expectable revenue is found in the DWDM network market.
Network operators will have to upgrade the transmission capacities of their optical fibre networks in the coming years and therefore look out for a cost-effective upgrade solution. Analysis of the market requirements and cost structure indicate that the MULTIWAVE system will start to provide competitive economic benefits for a full C-band system with 50 channels at 50 GHz channel spacing, but will provide substantial and compelling benefits and cost reductions for systems covering both C & L bands with 50 GHz channel spacing, or for C-band systems with 25 GHz channel spacing. Due to the modular setup of the within the frame of MULTIWAVE developed component, upgrading, maintenance and redundancy costs for the end-user are very low. This single laser device could potentially be used as a high-channel-count, multi-wavelength optical source with a potential to cover all optical telecommunication windows, as MULTIWAVE was conceived and designed giving highest priority to cost-effectiveness and upgradeability.
The MULTIWAVE project has demonstrated a multi-wavelength platform capable of generating source signals with channel spacing in the range of 12.5 G, 25 G, 50 G, 100 G or higher on the ITU grid, and covering the S, C, and L band. Error-free operation of the modulated channels in the C-band was obtained with performance equal to or better than commercial DFB lasers. MULTIWAVE has demonstrated a cost-effective platform for upgrading present and future broadband fibre optic links.
The MULTIWAVE laser source can replace complex and costly dense-wavelength-division-multiplexed (DWDM) transmitters with a single, cost-effective optical source. The developed laser source is capable of producing a large number of channels from a single system, reducing the complexity of the transmitter architecture and relaxing the demands on power, heat, inventory and space of optical network terminals, thus reducing the cost per channel of future DWDM systems. This single source system can be used as a high-channel-count, multi-wavelength optical source with a potential to cover all optical telecommunication windows. The approach in MULTIWAVE is based on a passively mode-locked pulse-generating laser with consecutive passive spectral broadening and subsequent passive channel selection through spectral filtering. The MULTIWAVE laser system consists of three fundamental building blocks: the initial pulse generating laser source, the creation of ultra-broad spectrum and the channel spacing selection stages. The most apparent advantage is that all components work mainly on a passive basis, therefore, the need for control and monitor electronics is minimised, as well as power consumption, generated heat, space requirements and cost. There is only simple low frequency electronics necessary, which is mostly already available off the shelf. All the components are compact, integratable on a single motherboard and easy to assemble.
MULTIWAVE assisted in the education of eight Ph.D. students specialising in laser and photonics, and resulted in a number of conference and scientific publications.
The aim of MULTIWAVE was to develop an enabling key component, allowing network operators to meet current and future demands in bandwidth for much lower cost than with today's state-of-the art technology. The multi-wavelength laser system, developed within the frame of MULTIWAVE, will replace banks of single wavelength lasers (100 lasers or more) with a single plug-and-play device, therefore reducing the cost per channel of future DWDM systems, the complexity of the DWDM system architecture and relaxing the demands on power budget, inventory and space requirements. MULTIWAVE will provide the telecommunication industry a versatile tool for a broad range of applications. The most evident application with the highest expectable revenue is found in the DWDM network market.
Network operators will have to upgrade the transmission capacities of their optical fibre networks in the coming years and therefore look out for a cost-effective upgrade solution. Analysis of the market requirements and cost structure indicate that the MULTIWAVE system will start to provide competitive economic benefits for a full C-band system with 50 channels at 50 GHz channel spacing, but will provide substantial and compelling benefits and cost reductions for systems covering both C & L bands with 50 GHz channel spacing, or for C-band systems with 25 GHz channel spacing. Due to the modular setup of the within the frame of MULTIWAVE developed component, upgrading, maintenance and redundancy costs for the end-user are very low. This single laser device could potentially be used as a high-channel-count, multi-wavelength optical source with a potential to cover all optical telecommunication windows, as MULTIWAVE was conceived and designed giving highest priority to cost-effectiveness and upgradeability.
The MULTIWAVE project has demonstrated a multi-wavelength platform capable of generating source signals with channel spacing in the range of 12.5 G, 25 G, 50 G, 100 G or higher on the ITU grid, and covering the S, C, and L band. Error-free operation of the modulated channels in the C-band was obtained with performance equal to or better than commercial DFB lasers. MULTIWAVE has demonstrated a cost-effective platform for upgrading present and future broadband fibre optic links.
The MULTIWAVE laser source can replace complex and costly dense-wavelength-division-multiplexed (DWDM) transmitters with a single, cost-effective optical source. The developed laser source is capable of producing a large number of channels from a single system, reducing the complexity of the transmitter architecture and relaxing the demands on power, heat, inventory and space of optical network terminals, thus reducing the cost per channel of future DWDM systems. This single source system can be used as a high-channel-count, multi-wavelength optical source with a potential to cover all optical telecommunication windows. The approach in MULTIWAVE is based on a passively mode-locked pulse-generating laser with consecutive passive spectral broadening and subsequent passive channel selection through spectral filtering. The MULTIWAVE laser system consists of three fundamental building blocks: the initial pulse generating laser source, the creation of ultra-broad spectrum and the channel spacing selection stages. The most apparent advantage is that all components work mainly on a passive basis, therefore, the need for control and monitor electronics is minimised, as well as power consumption, generated heat, space requirements and cost. There is only simple low frequency electronics necessary, which is mostly already available off the shelf. All the components are compact, integratable on a single motherboard and easy to assemble.
MULTIWAVE assisted in the education of eight Ph.D. students specialising in laser and photonics, and resulted in a number of conference and scientific publications.