Large-scale photonic integrated circuits for long-haul transmission and switching

<a href="http://www.osa-jon.org/virtual_issue.cfm?vid=28">Feature Issue on Nanoscale Integrated Photonics for Optical Networks</a> Dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) large-scale, single-chip transmitter and receiver photonic integrated circuits (PICs), each capable of operating at 100 Gbits/s, have been deployed in the field since the end of 2004. These highly integrated InP chips have significantly changed the economics of long-haul optical transport networks. First, a review of the ten-channel, 100 Gbits/s PIC is presented. Then two extensions of the technology are demonstrated; first is wide temperature, coolerless operation of the 100 Gbits/s PIC, and second is a single integrated chip with 40 channels operating at 40 Gbits/s, capable of an aggregate data rate of 1.6 Tbits/s.