Cielo Demonstrates 1.3 Micron VCSEL-Based OC-48 Optical Transmitter, Enabling Power Efficient, Low-Cost and High-Density Sonet Solutions.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers Full Transceiver Link Using 1.3 Micron VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) Pronounced "vixel." A type of laser diode that emits light from its surface rather than its edge. A VCSEL's circular beam is easy to couple with a fiber, and due to its surface-emission architecture, can be tested Delivers Error-Free Data Over 20km of Single Mode Fiber, Reliably Delivering High Bandwidth for the Telecommunications Infrastructure BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 2000 Cielo Communications, an industry leader in Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology and integrated optical subsystems, today demonstrated the feasibility of developing low-cost, power-efficient and high-density SONET-compliant optical systems, by becoming the first company to successfully construct a full transceiver link using a 1.3 micron VCSEL and transmit error-free data over 20 km of single mode fiber. The SONET-compliant OC-48 Short-Reach (SR) optical transmitter was built with a 1.3 micron VCSEL, commercially available integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. and proprietary optical packaging. The 1.3 micron VCSEL, developed cooperatively by Cielo and Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories, which is managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation), is a major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratory with two locations, one in Albuquerque, New , is the ideal source laser for use in telecommunication optical transmitters. It has been long sought after for this application because of its many advantages over edge-emitting lasers used today. The advantages include faster modulation speeds, easier testing capability, smaller size, lower power consumption and lower device cost. In addition, the 1.3 micron VCSEL delivers cost savings throughout the optical subsystem by leveraging the superior optical emission pattern of the laser and ability to fabricate laser arrays, which simplify manufacturing and packaging processes. "Based on the VCSEL's inherent technical advantages, the 1.3 micron VCSEL will obsolete the majority of 1.3 micron edge-emitting lasers used in telecommunications today. Our achievement is a major milestone in demonstrating the capability of the 1.3 micron VCSEL to deliver the performance required in SONET applications," said Bob Mayer Robert "Bob" Mayer is an author, writing instructor, and former Green Beret. He has written over 30 titles under his name and his four pen names (Joe Dalton, Robert Doherty, Greg Donegan, and Bob McGuire). , Cielo's vice president of marketing. "The optical power, wavelength and spectral purity have been the major hurdles for 1.3 micron VCSEL technology; we are excited about our optical transmitter, since it exceeds these OC-48 SR requirements with considerable margin." The demonstrated transceiver link consisted of a transmitter, 20 km of single mode fiber and a receiver. The transmitter included a laser driver and a packaged 1.3 micron VCSEL, while the receiver was comprised of a PIN photodiode A light sensor (photodetector) that allows current to flow in one direction from one side to the other when it absorbs photons (light). The more light, the more the current. Used to detect light pulses in optical fibers and other light-sensitive applications, it works the opposite of a , a transimpedance amplifier and a post amplifier. The OC-48 optical link was constructed by Cielo engineers and tested for compliance with the SONET standard at their Colorado facility. The bit error rate (BER (1) (Basic Encoding Rules) A set of encoding rules for ASN.1 notation, which is a method for defining data structures. See ASN.1. (2) (Bit Error Rate) The average number of bits transmitted in error. See BERT. 1. ) for the link was better than 1E-12. In June, Cielo and Sandia National Laboratories jointly announced a 1.3 micron VCSEL, fabricated on Gallium Arsenide An alloy of gallium and arsenic compound (GaAs) that is used as the base material for chips. Several times faster than silicon, it is used in high frequency applications such as cellphones, DVD players and fiber optics. (GaAs) substrates. The device is monolithic, electrically pumped and supports continuous-wave operation. Since then, Cielo engineers rapidly transferred the technology developed at Sandia to the company's Colorado fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. facility and began improvements and modifications. The collaboration continues between both companies to advance the 1.3 micron VCSEL technology. "We are building upon the 1.3 micron VCSEL technology announced earlier this year by the Cielo-Sandia team," said Dave Kisker, Cielo's vice president of VCSEL technology development. "By using the GaAs-based approach, we expect to achieve high performance, good yield and excellent reliability, which will enable the rapid deployment of this new technology." About Sandia National Laboratories Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. Company, for the United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. Its purview includes the nation's nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the United States Navy, under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major research and development responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. About Cielo Communications Cielo Communications is an industry leader in the research, development, manufacturing and deployment of VCSEL technology and optical packaging. The company's commitment to the advancement of VCSEL technology enables the broader adoption of cost-effective, multi-gigabit-per-second fiber optic interconnect solutions in telecommunications optical networking Communications between computers, telephones and other electronic devices using light. An optical network is far more reliable and has far greater potential transmission capacity than networking in the electrical domain. See optical fiber. equipment. Cielo Communications is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. backed by several major investor groups including Mayfield Fund, Menlo Ventures, Herb Alpert, HarbourVest, JAFCO, Triumph Capital, J.&W. Seligman, and Kingdon Capital. Cielo Communications is headquartered at 325 Interlocken Parkway, Building A, Broomfield, CO 80021. Note to Editors: Cielo and the Cielo logo are trademarks of Cielo Communications. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies. All rights reserved. |
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