Axcel Pushes 'Kink-Free' Lasers

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- Axcel Photonics Inc., a leading developer of InGaAs based active optical components, today introduced its 980 nm pump laser product line for erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). These products, which utilize Axcel's proprietary facet design and coating process, can achieve reliable, kink free powers of greater than 700 mW and meet the rigorous failure rate standards for telecom devices today. As additional channels are added in WDM transmission systems, greater power is required of the optical amplifiers, and consequently the pump lasers that power these systems. When operating at higher powers, the increase brings the laser closer to the point where Catastrophic Optical Damage (COD) at the laser facet can occur. COD is the primary reliability concern in high power 980 nm lasers, and has been a limiting factor to increasing the performance of these products. The Axcel facet design has significantly increased the threshold at which COD occurs. Typical industry values of 12 MW/cm2 have been nearly doubled to 20 MW/cm2 dramatically increasing both the level at which damage occurs to the front facet of the laser, and reliable output power of the device.Axcel has also made significant breakthroughs in sub-mount design in the area of thermal management. The sub-mount has been optimized to provide extremely efficient transfer of heat, increasing the point at which thermal "roll-over" occurs. The result is a product, which performs at a superior level, both in reliability and output power. Currently three grades of devices are available: 150+ mW for uncooled, low cost, Metro pump applications, 300+ mW for mid to low power pump modules, and 500+ mW for high power applications. The devices are shipped as individual chips or mounted on Axcel's standard sub-mounts. Custom sub-mount configurations are available.Axcel Photonics Inc.