SDL, Alcatel Finish Testing Undersea Modules

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 6 -- SDL Inc. and Alcatel have completed a joint test of the performance and reliability of grating-stabilized 980 nm pump modules used to pump amplifiers for undersea deployment. SDL is now in production to supply the 980 nm chips and fiber Bragg gratings to Alcatel, which is building the high power, high reliability, wavelength stabilized undersea pump modules.
The companies assert that the modules will allow submarine systems to increase their wavelength channel counts to 32 and beyond. The highest undersea system channel counts deployed to date have been 16 channels. It is important to note both the significance of the work and the scale of testing involved, said Donald R. Scifres, SDL's chairman and CEO. We believe that the SDL pump laser, coupled with the Alcatel module, represents the highest power, highest reliability submarine-qualified 980 nm pump available.