March 16, 2018
Keio University
Pioneer Micro Technology Corporation
Koshin Kogaku Co., Ltd.
Optoquest Co., Ltd.
A research group led by Professor Hiroyuki Tsuda and Associate Professor Ryogo Kubo of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, in collaboration with Pioneer Micro Technology Corporation, Koshin Kogaku Co., Ltd., and Optoquest Co., Ltd., has successfully demonstrated a wavelength routing system that can utilize the vast wavelength resources of the T-band and O-band, spanning approximately 80 THz.
The T-band in optical communications, which covers the wavelength band from 1000 to 1260 nm, has not been used for communication purposes until now. This is because it has higher transmission loss compared to the C-band (1530–1565 nm) and L-band (1565–1625 nm) mainly used in optical fiber transmission, making long-distance transmission difficult. With the recent increase in communication traffic, the demand for high-capacity and large-scale wavelength routing systems has been rapidly increasing, especially for optical communications over distances of a few kilometers or less, such as in intra-data center networks and LANs (Local Area Networks). In this research, we have developed quantum dot gain chips, tunable light sources, semiconductor optical amplifiers, and arrayed waveguide gratings operable in the T-band and the adjacent O-band (1260–1360 nm). Using these components, we have demonstrated that it is possible to build a large-scale wavelength routing system capable of accommodating over 1000 wavelength channels.
The results of this research were presented at the international conference "The Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition (OFC 2018)," held in San Diego, USA, on March 15, 2018 (local time).
For the full press release, please see below.