This project plans to develop a small and low cost dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) laser transmitter module qualified for reliable operation in the harsh environment of military and aerospace avionics applications. The fiber pigtailed transmitter will have a low-profile (package height < 0.140"), the smallest WDM transmitter size ever attempted. The module will be capable of generating > 80 wavelength channels, providing a digital data rate of 10Gb/s and high dynamic range analog transmission from 0.2-20 GHz with multi-octave spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) > 105 dB-Hz2/3. The module will employ a novel wavelength locker to achieve the low-profile requirement. In addition, the latest developments in thermoelectric coolers will be utilized to provide stable performance over extended temperature ranges of -40øC to 100øC. In Phase I, the focus will be on the digital and analog testing of the InP based widely-tunable transmitter chip, which forms the heart of the module, to demonstrate its suitability for this application. The Phase I effort will also propose fiber optic bus architectures of mobile military systems that can take the best advantage of the WDM transmitter and evaluate the suitability of electrical predistortion for improving the SFDR of the transmitter for broadband RF applications
