Santec Introduces a New LCOS Based Programmable Optical Filter That Allows Optical Filtering in a Limitless Range

Online, March 7, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Santec, a leading design company and manufacturer of tunable lasers, optical instruments and fiber-optic components, proudly utilizing its Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology, has developed a programmable optical filter which is capable of conducting optical filtering in a limitless range (model name: WSS-1000). This product enables users to flexibly establish the environment required to verify the next generation optical network. It will be introduced and exhibited at OFC2014 in San Francisco, United States, from March 11, 2014.

As a pioneer of optical measurement technology, Santec has been selling optical filters over 20 years, receiving high praise from customers. The company has now applied its unique LOCS technology to its wavelength and bandwidth-variable filter equipment, and created a revolutionary programmable optical filtering device.

"For WSS-1000, we employed our LCOS technology to develop attenuation and port number control devices," commented Changho Chong PhD., Director and Head of the System Business Unit. "Thus, the product can generate spectrum more flexibly than conventional optical filters do. I am sure that the customers who verify the flexible grid optical network, a next generation network of over 100Gbs with improved spectral efficiency, will find this product useful."

He also added, "LCOS is liquid crystal technology, so it is important not to have any movable parts including motors. Since the LCOS element is a non-movable device, it is highly reliable when precise measurements are needed. This is a crucial way to reduce the burden on customers."

WSS-1000, which has a filter slope with a steep transmission band width of 400dB/nm, is a system that can control wavelength and bandwidth with high resolutions up to 1GHz. It is also equipped with a switching function, the effectiveness of which has been proved with WSS optical modules. The switch allows port changes up to 1 x 4. In the future, we will enhance the port switching function up to 1 x 9. With regards to wavelength bands, C-band and L-band are available.

Features
- Programmable arbitrary spectral shaping
- C or L-band operation
- Fine frequency and bandwidth control
- Setting resolution 1GHz (typ.)
- Excellent optical filtering with steeper edge (400dB/nm (typ.))
- Switching function optionally (1, 2 or 4 outputs)

Applications
- Optical equalizer for high-speed optical signals
- 100Gb/s, 400Gb/s, 1Tb/s transmission test
- Adjustable and adaptive DWDM, OFDM channel filtering
- Flexible test and measurement
- Next generation bundle wavelength OXC
- Pulse shaping

More information is available at http://www.santec.com/en/6924

Contact:
Santec USA Corporation
Tel. +1-800-SANTEC-1 / +1-201-488-5505
[email protected]

* Santec Corporation was established in 1979. It is headquartered in Komaki, Japan and has subsidiaries in NJ, USA (Santec U.S.A. Corporation), Oxford, UK (Santec Europe Ltd.) and China (Santec (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.). It is listed on the JASDAQ Market - a section of the Tokyo Securities Exchange. The company serves customers in more than 30 countries; these include most of the world's major telecommunications companies, telecommunication system manufacturers and medical equipment companies.
Santec's products include a broad range of optical components and tunable laser light sources for the optical fiber communication industry, together with a range of fiber optic test and measurement instruments.