NeoPhotonics announced general availability of its latest ultra-narrow linewidth laser, rounding out a week of announcements from the California-based optical networking manufacturer.

The laser builds on the company's existing line of micro-ITLA lasers and is designed specifically for data center interconnect. The laser's key feature is its wide tuning range of 6 terahertz, which covers the full "Super C-band." NeoPhotonics claims this range allows for 50% more spectrum to be used than a standard 80 channel, 50-gigahertz spaced laser.

Farris Lipscomb, VP of marketing at NeoPhotonics, told SDxCentral in a phone interview that the wider tuning range enables up to 80 channels, each up to 75-gigahertz wide and capable of bandwidth between 400Gb/s and 600 Gb/s. It can also transmit 120 channels that are 50-gigahertz wide. Lipscomb added that while the laser is technically capable of the full 80 channels, it's not compatible with most amplifiers designed to boost the signal further than 80 kilometers.

The laser compliments NeoPhotonics' new line of arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexers and demultiplexers announced early last week. These are designed to address capacity demands for interconnected data centers.

The new AWGs are based on the company's high-volume, Planar lightwave circuit platform and designed to push bandwidth capacity of up to 600 Gb/s across 64 channels. This allows for total transmission capacity in excess of 30 Tb/s.

According to Lipscomb, this jump in bandwidth is made possible by pushing the baud rate from 30 Gbaud to between 60 and 120 Gbaud. The company claims AWGs offer more channels at a significant cost savings compared to wavelength-selective switches.

NeoPhotonics last week unveiled a line of distributed feedback (DFB) lasers aimed at high-bandwidth communication within the data center. The lasers are capable of generating four 100 Gb/s channels across distances between 500 meters and two kilometers.

NeoPhotonics reduces manufacturing complexity and per-unit cost by using a direct interface between the indium phosphide laser and the silicon photonics waveguide. Lipscomb added that the laser doesn't need to be hermetically sealed from the elements, which further reduces overall unit cost.

"Water kills lasers," he said. "We engineered them in non-hermetic atmospheres reducing cost."