On September 30, 2021, with the continuous growth of cloud computing demand and server quantity, metropolitan area networks and data center networks have proposed a series of requirements such as scalability, low cost, low energy consumption, and high bandwidth. In this context, Lightip has launched a product based on an array waveguide grating router (AWGR) that can meet the requirements of distributed optoelectronic hybrid switching network architecture. So, what are the performance and production of AWGR products? With these questions in mind, the editor interviewed the founder, Teacher He Jianjun, on CIOE2021.
Building a comprehensive high-speed product line for 5G and data center applications
Teacher He said that Lightip's current product line not only includes a series of products including high-speed tunable semiconductor lasers, high-speed optical devices, and optical modules, but also includes new products such as 16x16 and 32x32 cyclic addressing AWG wavelength routers, wavelength routing based distributed optical switching technology, and ultra small spectrometers. Among them, the distributed optoelectronic exchange based on Array Waveguide Grating Router (AWGR) with intellectual property rights is currently the only enterprise in China that has taken the lead in implementing this technology. This product not only provides high-capacity optical wavelength routing, with burst packet switching provided by electric packet switches, but also meets the needs of elephant traffic and mouse traffic, effectively reducing network energy consumption and improving network reliability. Compared with optical circuit switches based on WSS, it can reduce configuration time delay. In dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) systems, the combination of NxN cyclic addressing array waveguide grating router and tunable laser/tunable optical module can achieve non blocking optical switching of N input port and N output port, while also having one to multiple DWDM connections, wavelength can be freely allocated, and different nodes can obtain different bandwidths. This distributed optoelectronic exchange and related core products have been favored since their debut at this exhibition, and many top companies in the industry have come to consult.
New opportunities, new markets
With new technological advantages, products such as Lightip's AWGR can find new markets, namely the 5G and data center markets. The large-scale data center network includes tens of thousands of servers. As an optical routing network with AWGR as the core optical device, the data center field has always been looking forward to low-cost passive AWGR optical devices, but the technology is difficult to implement. After more than a year of development and research by Teacher He and his team, the product has finally been pushed to the market. Currently, the product has achieved small-scale mass production and has been verified by customers such as Huawei. This technology is a key product that replaces RODAM and WSS import bottleneck disruptions. Cloud service providers and operators are rapidly shifting towards designing and deploying high-speed DWDM systems. We believe that this new technology can be quickly applied in bulk under new demands such as 5G and data centers, while also highlighting Lightip's comprehensive competitive strength in building a complete high-speed product line in 5G and data centers.
At the same time, Lightip also launched new products such as 25G tunable EML lasers and optical transceiver modules, distributed optical switching technology and demonstration system prototypes based on wavelength routing, and ultra small spectrometers. The most noteworthy are the 25Gbps tunable EML laser and optical transceiver module. The existing tunable laser technology requires complex grating fabrication processes and multiple epitaxial growth, multiple electrodes, and complex operation rules to control wavelength. Moreover, the chip size is large, making it expensive. Lightip has developed a simple and compact new half wave coupled V-cavity laser (VCL), which can be adjusted in all C or L bands, directly modulate DML or integrate EML with an electric absorption modulator on a single chip. The modulation rate covers 2.5G-10G DML and 10G-25G EML. This product has broad application prospects in optical communication, optical interconnection, environmental monitoring, gas sensing, LiDAR and other fields.
The unique technological model will bring Lightip a competitive advantage in the market and meet the priority needs of Lightip's customers. This is one of the factors that make Lightip a close partner with well-known domestic and foreign optical communication enterprises. Currently, Lightip has received two rounds of financing, with two holding and investment subsidiaries under its umbrella. We believe that under the demand of new opportunities, Lightip can quickly and successfully go public.
