Phoenix Photonics expands Firebird family of polarization controllers

Phoenix Photonics, a UK-based test and measurement company, is introducing two new modules for its Firebird Instrumentation product range at OFC on March 6 - 8 in booth 2637.

The Firebird range, launched in September last year with a programmable four-channel polarization controller, gives customers a “plug and play” capability to manage polarization issues in optical fiber, the company says.

"The polarization scrambling module, designed for integration into polarization test and measurement equipment, and the interface module for our EPC controller represent the next step along our roadmap to realize a series of high quality module and instrument products," explained Dean Giles, operations director of Phoenix Photonics.

Using the same technology developed for the four-channel controller, the new compact polarization scrambler module is pre-programmed to provide random or scanned polarization for any input state requiring only a simple DC bias. The new EPC interface module enables the device to be controlled directly by computer.

Phoenix will also display new components developed as part of the 7th Framework EU-funded project MODE-GAP:

• LP01 to LP11 tunable mechanical and in-fiber LPG mode converters
• 2-micron coupler and polarization control components
  

The MODE-GAP project seeks to provide Europe with a lead in the development of next-generation Internet infrastructure to address the potential capacity crunch. Combining the expertise of eight photonics partners, the project is developing transmission techniques based on specialist long-haul transmission fibers, and associated enabling technologies such as novel rare-earth doped optical amplifiers, transmitter and receiver components and data processing, techniques to increase the capacity of broadband networks.

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