N7778C High Power and Low SSE

The N7778C value line tunable laser source offers a peak output power of more than +12 dBm, at least 75 dB/nm above its spontaneous emission level. It features a typical wavelength repeatability of ±1.5 pm at two-way sweeps up to 200 nm/s. The N7778C’s balance of features, performance, and price makes it suitable for cost-effective, high-throughput manufacturing-floor component testing as well as for coherent transmission experiments.

The new option 013 is a particularly good match for testing and developing components with silicon photonics/ integrated photonics technology. Verifying the spectral responsivity and the sensitivity of receiver optical subassemblies (ROSA) for Ethernet benefit from more than +16 dBm output power across 1290 nm to 1340 nm — enough to allow for external modulation in BER testing.

The N7778C’s wavelength tuning performance is enhanced to provide default fine-tuning without overshoot. No separate fine-tuning control is needed for smooth tuning with 0.1 pm resolution due to the automatic coordination of the motor and piezoelectric actuator. This simplifies wavelength-optimization procedures. Like its predecessors, 81600B and 81608A, the new N7778C tunable laser source is supported by the photonic application suite software for spectral measurements of insertion loss, polarization-dependent loss, and dispersion. In combination with the N774xC multiport power meters and the N7786C polarization synthesizer, the new lasers provide optimal swept-wavelength accuracy and excellent dynamic range for measuring both filter stop bands and pass bands.

All N777xC tunable lasers have a common cavity and laser module design and share a narrow linewidth, excellent long-term stability, and low spontaneous emission level. They are software-compatible with the 8160xA and 81600B lasers, the industry standards for more than a decade, but occupy one height unit less rack space. The remote user interface on the instrument is accessible with just a web browser, either via LAN or USB connection. An optional touch-screen display provides local operator access and displays current operating parameters.