Coherent has announced the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp, a programmable optical filter designed to deliver fine (“sharp”) frequency resolution for optical network and photonics applications. Coherent says the product provides 5 GHz resolution optical bandwidth and “approximately two times finer resolution than previously available programmable optical filters,” enabling steep filter slopes for more selective filter profiles.
Coherent positions the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp for optical networks used in data center interconnects and long-haul telecommunications, where multiple reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) are commonly cascaded. The company notes that cascaded channel filtering can narrow the transmission spectrum and degrade signal quality; it says the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp lets network designers and system developers emulate these filter effects and optimize transmission performance in complex, meshed optical networks.
“WaveShaper 1000A Sharp significantly enhances flexibility while reducing cost in the planning and design of meshed optical networks,” said Dr. Ralf Stolte, Sr. Sales and Marketing Manager, Optical Communications Test Equipment at Coherent. “By replacing the need to cascade multiple ROADMs or wavelength selective switches with a single programmable instrument, customers can rapidly evaluate complex filter effects by defining the desired response in software.”
Outside of optical networking, Coherent also cites microwave photonics, terahertz spectroscopy, and metrology, where applications require precise selection of spectral lines from optical frequency combs. Coherent says the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp is suited to these use cases because it can create steep and highly selective programmable filter profiles.
Coherent says the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp is available as a benchtop instrument for laboratory operation and works with Coherent’s WaveAnalyzer family of high-resolution optical spectrum analyzers. The company reports the product is orderable now and shipping immediately, and that it will be showcased at Photonics West, Booth 4805.
Source: Coherent
