Colorado-based Lightwave Logic, a company developing photonic devices and non-linear optical polymer materials for optical data communications and telecommunications applications, announced it has achieved bandwidth suitable for 25 Gbit/s data rates in an all-organic polymer ridge waveguide intensity modulator prototype.
The company noted that the 25 Gbit/s capability demonstration marks a significant improvement over its initial 10 Gbit/s device modulator that it reported last December.
Lightwave Logic explained that a modulator converts electronic information into light pulses that can traverse optical cables used in data centres, for data communications and high performance computing applications. To achieve a 100 Gbit/s data rate, modulators are typically configured in groups of four, each supporting 25 Gbit/s data rate.
Lightwave Logic’s polymer photonics integrated circuit (P2IC) is similar to an electronic integrated circuit, but incorporates two or more optical functions on a single substrate platform. P2IC devices are expected to allow increased component density, with numerous photonic functions enabled using electro-optic polymer materials. This can provide scalable photonic devices offering lower cost together with higher performance.
In December 2016, Lightwave Logic announced it had achieved high-speed modulation utilising its first all-organic polymer ridge waveguide intensity modulator prototype. The company stated that the prototype could enable bandwidth sufficient to support data rates of around 10 Gbit/s, and that it anticipated increasing this performance to 25 Gbit/s.
Recently, Lightwave Logic announced that Dr. Michael Lebby, who established Intel’s photonics division, would assume the role of CEO, effective May 1, 2017, succeeding Tom Zelibor who will remain as board chairman. It also recently elected Dr. Fred Leonberger, formerly with JDS Uniphase, to its board.
Commenting on the announcement, Lightwave Logic CEO Tom Zelibor said, “Enabled by the P2IC polymer system, this prototype device is suitable for data rates at 25 Gbit/s, and I believe it can be scaled to operate up to 50 Gbit/s… which would be the key to… addressing the next large market, 400 Gbit/s nodes”.
