II-VI announced a significant milestone: more than 1,000 of its LightFlow Flexband wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules shipped for deployment in undersea optical networks. II-VI received its first such commercial orders in 2019.
The WSS modules are used in reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) embedded in branching points on the ocean floor.
II-VI’s WSS leverages an athermal liquid-crystal technology, which is controlled by very simple circuits and consumes very low power. The LightFlow Flexband WSS is available in 1×1, 1×2, 1×4, 1×8, and 1×9 configurations. II-VI’s broad portfolio of products for undersea networks includes pump lasers, filters, and detectors.
“The market for undersea-qualified WSS continues to grow, leveraging technology that has demonstrated high reliability,” said Dr. Richard Smart, Senior Vice President, ROADM Business Unit. “We are uniquely positioned in the undersea WSS market, thanks to the ultrahigh reliability of our liquid-crystal WSS, which is field-proven with more than 15 years of high-volume deployments. The WSS is the most recent addition to II-VI’s portfolio of undersea-qualified products, built over two decades of innovation and that includes an industry-enabling product line of high-reliability semiconductor lasers and optical components. These products are powering a revolution in undersea capabilities, driving the convergence of communications and computing, enabling new services, and improving global sustainability.”
