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Researchers developed a high-power optical frequency comb operating in the O-band wavelength range (1260-1360 nm) by combining a silicon nitride microcomb with a bismuth-doped fiber amplifier. The system produces 21 individual wavelength carriers, each delivering more than 1 milliwatt of power across a 100 nm bandwidth, and was successfully tested in a 25-kilometer fiber transmission experiment achieving 7.23 terabits per second aggregate data throughput using advanced 64-QAM modulation.
Why it matters
This technology addresses a critical bottleneck in short-distance data center communications by providing a scalable, multi-wavelength light source for the O-band spectrum, which experiences minimal signal distortion in standard optical fibers. The demonstration of multi-terabit transmission capacity could enable more efficient and cost-effective optical interconnects for cloud computing infrastructure and data centers.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Abstract: The O-band (1260-1360 nm), located near the minimum chromatic dispersion of standard single-mode fiber, is an important transmission window for short-reach data-center interconnects. Its broader use is limited by the availability of scalable multi-wavelength, high-power and low-noise light sources. Here we demonstrate a high-power O-band soliton microcomb architecture combining an 834 GHz self-injection-locked (SIL) Si3N4 microcomb spanning 1050-1650 nm with a single-stage bismuth-doped phosphosilicate fiber amplifier. The system delivers > 0 dBm per carrier for 21 O-band comb lines over a 100 nm bandwidth, exhibiting low-noise operation and a 5 dB variation in amplifier gain. We validate the amplified source in a 25-km coherent WDM transmission experiment using 32-GBd dual-polarisation 64-QAM. Comb carriers spanning the O-band are characterised under simultaneous WDM loading, yielding an aggregate GMI-estimated throughput of 7.23 Tb/s and a post-FEC throughput of 6.94 Tb/s. This approach establishes a practical route towards broadband, high-power O-band microcomb sources for multi-terabit optical interconnects.
Source: Unlocking the O-Band Coherent Transmission: high-power, broadband soliton microcomb