Bookham Intros Tunable Laser

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- OFC 2002 -- Bookham Technology plc (LSE: BHM; NASDAQ: BKHM) announces the development of a new DS-DBR (Digital Supermode Distributed Bragg Reflector) laser as part of its ongoing strategy to provide world-leading optical components. The DS-DBR laser, demonstrated at the Optical Fibre Conference 2002 on stand #3441, uses a novel tuning approach to maximise output power while dramatically simplifying tuning characteristics and ultimately the cost of manufacture. The product, when combined with Bookham’s GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) based integrated modulator platform, becomes the powerhouse for 10Gb/s and 40Gb/s transmitter solutions providing levels of price, performance and manufacture that will significantly challenge conventional discrete implementations.Andy Carter, Bookham Technology's VP for Active Component R&D said “This device is a breakthrough as it combines all of the key features required by systems manufacturers today. It has high output power, which is very uniform with tuning together with excellent side mode suppression ratio (SMSR). The device is monolithic, providing scalability in manufacture using industry standard technologies, and is simple to set up and control. We will also be supplying these devices in our integrated transmitter platform with support electronics, giving customers all the advantages of tunability with none of the problems of fibre splicing and management or laser control when designing cards or transponders. This really has the potential to blow a major hole in the fixed wavelength laser market.”Bookham Technology PLCFor more information on OFC 2002, please visit: www.nottheofc.com