TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Joint Strike Fighter and PMA-290

OBJECTIVE: Develop a packaged tunable polarization insensitive wavelength converter photonic chip for use in fiber optic local area networks.

DESCRIPTION: In commercial networks, route planning can be expensive and untimely using static wavelength circuits that are not reconfigurable. Without wavelength conversion, a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) network can be highly blocking. Wavelength converters offer the option of connecting disjoint wavelengths together to form one circuit. If the wavelength conversion is dynamic, then networks can grow with capacity and tolerate failures without blocking occurring. Recent developments in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have introduced the possibility of very low cost integrated tunable, reconfigurable wavelength converters.

Tunable, polarization-insensitive, digital fiber-optic wavelength converters with built-in test are sought as an important step in reducing the cost of deploying, maintaining and operating large scale WDM networks for telecommunications and in enabling a true future-proofed WDM-based local area network for ground-based systems and onboard aerospace, ship and submarine platforms.

Proposed solutions should satisfy important specifications. Some of these specifications include input and output operating wavelength and optical power ranges, regeneration capabilities, and tuning speed and accuracy. The packaged wavelength converter should operate over the center of the 1550 nm C-band in the ITU grid and be compatible with low profile (i.e., 5 mm height), –40 to +100 ºC ambient temperature range packaging. Wavelength converter optics should be compatible with standard telecom grade SMF-28 fiber optic inputs and outputs. The tunable laser wavelength converter output should enable tuning speeds on the order of 1 microsecond or less at 3dBm output power. The wavelength converter device must operate in a polarization insensitive fiber optic cable plant environment, include built-in test capability to monitor receiver/transmitter signal strencth, and maximize wide dynamic range (i.e., 20 dB) in order to minimize the need for external optical amplification. A means to incorporate in-situ wavelength characterization of incoming and outgoing optical signals should also be incorporated into the wavelength converter design.

The pros and cons of incorporating a detachable fiber optic connector with the wavelength converter device should also be considered. A final ruggedized wavelength converter package fit with a fiber optic connector is envisioned to consist of a temperature controlled hermetically sealed wavelength converter chip with built-in test features to monitor link loss and optical signal wavelength characteristics. Package size, weight and power should be minimized.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a tunable polarization insensitive digital fiber optic wavelength converter chip and package design with built-in test (BIT) capability that operates between 2.5 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s. Analyze and model design alternatives. Take into account dynamic range, wavelength detection and control, aircraft link fault detection and isolation, ease of packaging, package size and power, and environmental ruggedness over the –40 to 100°C temperature range. Include error detection and correction technology as needed.

PHASE II: Design, fabricate and test a prototype BIT-capable tunable polarization independent wavelength converter devices capable of both 2.5 and 10 Gb/s data transmission in an avionics representative 9 micron mode field diameter single-mode fiber optic cable plant environment (i.e., –40 to +100ºC ambient operational temperature range, 100 meter long transmission distance). Characterize the packaged BIT-capable tunable polarization independent wavelength converter device over the full –40 to +100°C ambient temperature range. Include aircraft representative fiber optic cable plant interconnect technology in a wavelength converter characterization test bed.

PHASE III: Fully develop a wavelength converter based network interface cards for use in next generation avionics WDM networks.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Private sector applications include computer and telecommunication networks incorporating fiber optic interconnects.

REFERENCES:
1. M.W. Beranek and A.R. Avak, "Improving avionics fiber optic network reliability and maintainability via built-in test," IEEE/AIAA 25th Digital Avionics System Conference proceedings, 2006.

2. M.W. Beranek, A.R. Avak and R.L. Van Deven, "Military digital avionics fiber optic network design for maintainability and supportability," IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Society Systems (AESS) magazine, vol. 21, no. 9, pp. 18-24, 2006.

3. A.S. Glista, Jr. and M.W. Beranek, "Wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical technology solutions for next generation aerospace platforms," IEEE/AIAA 22nd Digital Avionics Systems Conference proceedings, 2003.

4. M.W. Beranek, "Fiber optic interconnect and optoelectronic packaging challenges for future generation avionics," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 6478, pp. 647809-1 to 647809-18, 2007.

KEYWORDS: Wavelength Converter; Tunable Laser Transmitter; Wavelength Division Multiplexing; Fiber Optics; Packaging; Built-In Test

TPOC: (301)342-9115
2nd TPOC: (301)342-9102