Optoelectric Module Technologies & Manufacturing

Finisar Corp and Ortel Corp. are teaming to develop and commercialize a reliable and cost effective multi-gigabit per second, opto-electronic interface for advanced computer network applications, using arrays of DFB laser diodes and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques. This work will build on technology being transferred from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Two JPL projects funded by BMDO are closely related to this project. JPL will assist in the transfer of technical results from these two projects to this SBIR effort. The ultimate product goal of the project is to produce a multi-gigabit per second HIPPI extender to link supercomputing sites. The first step will be to build and test such an extender using discrete components. Then, based on the array processing techniques developed at JPL, Ortel will produce multiple element, single wavelength, distributed feedback (DFB) laser array chip to be used as the building block for an integrated HIPPI extender. The modular design of the extender will allow its adaption to other high speed protocols such as SONET, Fiber Channel, and SCI. Phase I will identify laser structures for DFB arrays, define the packaging requirements for the arrays, develop approaches to the WDM power combiner, and define a specification for the HIPPI extender. Anticipated Benefits: The multi-gigabit computer bus extenders developed in this project will not only link supercomputing centers over optical fibers, but will also form an important basis for high speed interconnections between next generation computers, workstations, and their peripherals.