Nov 27 2013
Lightwave Logic, Inc., a technology company focused on the development of Next Generation Photonic Devices and Non Linear Optical Polymer Materials Systems for applications in high speed fiber-optic telecommunications and data communications, announced today that preliminary testing and initial data on the recently announced prototype SOH device coated with one of Lightwave's proprietary materials demonstrated several promising characteristics.
The tested SOH chip had a 1-millimeter square footprint, enabling the possibility of sophisticated integrated optical circuits on a single silicon substrate. In addition, the waveguide structure was approximately 1/20 the length of a typical inorganic-based silicon photonics modulator waveguide.
With the combination of proprietary Lightwave Logic electro-optic polymer material and the extremely high optical field concentration in the slot waveguide modulator, the test modulators demonstrated less than 2.2 volts to operate. Initial data rates exceeded 30-35 Gb/sec in the telecom, 1550 nanometer frequency band. This is equivalent to four, 10Gb/sec, inorganic, lithium niobate modulators that would require approximately 12-16 volts to move the same amount of information. Lightwave's material also operates in the 1310 nanometer frequency band, which is suitable for data communications applications.
There are tremendous economic advantages for data centers to reduce power consumption and a smaller flexible form factor is also essential to keep pace with the rapidly expanding telecom and data communications markets.
Cloud computing is just one market Lightwave intends to target with a fully developed commercial offering. There are several layers within a large data center that could ultimately be penetrated with a commercially qualified device. The Company will initially target the rack-to-server layer. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Spectrum, has estimated the market potential to be in the millions of units per year. Also, Infonetics, an international market research firm estimates that an average selling price for short reach optical modules (Transmitters, Transceivers, and Transponders)at or below $500 would trigger enormous demand, as the reduced cost per gigabit of transmission would offer significant savings. A fully developed, market-ready product could capture the majority of this multi-billion dollar market segment.