Optical Signal Processing Using Planar Lightwave Circuits&High-Speed Digital-to-Analog Converters- Innovative Photonics&Electronics for Future Large-Capacity Transmission -

Planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) and electronic digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are powerful tools for high-speed optical and electronic signal processing, respectively. By combining them, we are investigating large-capacity optical transmitters that use advanced multilevel modulation formats.

• Hybrid integration of silica PLCs and an LiNbO3 (LN) phase-modulator array for high-speed optical modulators with complex configurations
• Advanced circuit design and fabrication technologies based on InP heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for high-speed analog ICs

By driving a silica-LN integrated modulator with InP-DACs, we have demonstrated the first 400-Gbps signal generation using a single light source and single modulator. The modulator generates two optical subcarriers while the DACs generate multilevel signals.

• Optical packet switching technology - Hybrid Optoelectronic Packet Router -