Alcatel Optronics launches a coolerless 980-nm terrestrial pump module

August 27, 2002 - Alcatel Optronics, the opto-electronic components division of Alcatel (Paris), today introduced a 980-nm terrestrial pump module without a thermo-electric cooler. In a low profile butterfly package, it provides up to 150 mW of optical pumping power. The pump laser is designed for use with single-channel and WDM erbium-doped fiber amplifiers for metro and metro-access applications. The technical advantages of the coolerless pump module combine to offer increased equipment density and reduced costs, while maintaining high optical performance.

Amplifiers are used more and more often in optical crossconnects and metro rings therefore any reduction in the size and cost of amplifiers and their associated pump modules will improve network performance. The absence of a thermo-electric cooler in th terrestrial pump module reduces both electrical power consumption and dissipation, and leads to simpler amplifier control electronics. The combination of these features together with a low profile package will increase equipment density and reduce the total cost of ownership.

With an output power from 82 mW to 150 mW, the Alcatel 1998 PLM coolerless provides high optical performance over a wide temperature range, from -5° to +70°C. The absence of a thermo-electric cooler offers a very low power consumption (typically 500 mW), which reduces system operating costs. The standard low profile 14-pin butterfly package (29 x 12.7 x 8 mm³) contains a high power 980-nm laser that emits a highly concentrated pumping optical signal. In addition, thanks to a fiber Bragg grating pump stabilizer located in the fiber pigtail, the wavelength is stabilized and locked. For more information, visit Alcatel Optronics' Web site, www.alcatel.com/optronics.