FREMONT, Calif. -- Genoa Corporation, a next-generation optical semiconductor company in Fremont, CA, announced today the world's first single-chip, linear optical amplifier (LOA) - a small, cost-effective semiconductor device capable of amplifying light in optical communications networks. The LOA represents the first semiconductor-based optical or "photonic" amplifier able to simultaneously amplify dozens of different wavelengths of light without distortion, even if those wavelengths are unpredictably switched in and out of the communications path. The tiny chip, which, when packaged, is about the size of a sugar cube, is expected to find wide application in optical network equipment ranging from optical cross-connects, high-speed routers, optical add-drop multiplexers, transponders, and DWDM systems, particularly in metropolitan applications.

"As the expansion of optical networks into metro applications gains momentum," said Scott Clavenna, president of PointEast Research, LLC, "an effective, low-cost, distortion-free means to amplify light is becoming crucial. Network equipment manufactures do not have the luxury of using current technology, which is often mismatched both technically and economically with the needs of the metro service providers. Orders of magnitude reductions in cost, footprint, and power are needed almost immediately."

In a separate release:

Genoa Corporation, a next-generation optical semiconductor company in Fremont, CA, announced today that it has raised an additional $75 million. Investors in this funding round include August Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Global Crossing, Investor AB, Levensohn Capital, Meritech Capital Partners, Oak Investment Partners, and WorldCom Ventures. This brings total funding for the company to approximately $95 million.

http://genoa.com