Compact Tunable Laser Source for Telecommunication and Optical Networks

Why Optical Networks Labs Start With One Good Laser

Many optical networks experiments need just one clean, tunable wavelength: sweeping a filter or AWG, characterising a modulator, testing a transceiver input, measuring a fibre Bragg grating or running a teaching demonstration on DWDM. For university labs, early-stage start-ups and component teams, a full rack of multi-channel lasers is more than the work needs.

What those labs do need is a laser they can set on the bench, connect to a laptop and trust from one day to the next, with a clear upgrade path when the experiments grow to two channels or a full DWDM grid.

The Compact Tunable Laser Source on the Bench

The compact tunable laser source from ID Photonics, the CoBrite DX1, is a single-port tunable laser in a unit small enough to sit beside the device under test. It runs from a 12 V adapter, is controlled over USB from the supplied PC software and can store a configuration in memory, so it comes back to the same setting after each power-up.

The CoBrite DX1 uses the same laser module technology as the rack-mounted CoBrite DX, so results from a small bench translate to larger setups later.

Why Choosing the Right Variant Matters

The three variants differ in linewidth, tuning resolution and output power, so the choice follows the work:

• N-Type: 25 kHz typical linewidth and 1 MHz tuning resolution, in a C-band or L-band version, for coherent and phase-sensitive experiments.
• S-Type: around 80 kHz linewidth and up to 17.8 dBm in the C-band, for component and DWDM tests that need more power.
• G-Type: 25 kHz typical linewidth and 1 MHz tuning resolution in the C-band, aimed at teaching and university labs.

Built for Small Optical Networks Benches

The unit is designed for labs where bench space and budget are limited but measurements still need to be repeatable.

Small enough for any bench

At 32 × 82 × 150 mm and 0.5 kg, the laser fits beside a device under test or inside a teaching kit, and runs from a 12 V adapter, with an operating range of 0 to 40 °C.

On the DWDM grid

Frequencies follow the ITU-T G.694.1 grid, with the C-band covering 190.70 to 196.65 THz on the N-Type (191.1 to 196.25 THz on the S- and G-Type), so channels line up with the components being tested. The N-Type gives 10 to 16 dBm in the C-band and 9 to 14.5 dBm in the L-band.

Scripted from a laptop

All three variants accept SCPI commands for Python (PyVISA), LabVIEW (NI-VISA) and MATLAB, so wavelength sweeps and power steps can be automated.

Set-and-forget memory

A saved wavelength and power setting is restored at power-up, which suits teaching labs and long-running tests where the laser should return to a known state.

Building a Complete Single-Channel Test Bench

For IQ modulator work, the compact tunable laser source feeds the modulator under test while the Automatic Bias Control System keeps its bias locked. The ID OSA Optical Spectrum Analyser checks the laser’s wavelength and the spectrum of each device under test. When an experiment needs a second, independently controlled wavelength, such as a signal and local oscillator, the Dual-Port Tunable Laser Source takes over, and full DWDM loading is handled by the Multi-Channel Tunable Laser Sources.

Who Uses It

• University and college optical communication labs
• Photonics start-ups and early-stage R&D teams
• Optical component makers testing filters, AWGs and modulators
• Fibre sensing and interferometry research groups
• Telecom training and skilling centres

Supply and Support in India

United Spectrum Instruments (USI), Chennai, supplies the compact tunable laser source in India as the distributor for ID Photonics, together with the dual-port and multi-channel CoBrite lasers, ID OSA and Automatic Bias Control System.

Sourcing from one supplier gives optical networks labs a single point of contact for variant choice, band, installation and after-sales support, and a clear route from a single laser to a multi-channel bench.

Request a Configuration

Download the brochure from this page, use the Enquire Now button, write to sales@unitedspectrum.in, or call +91 93631 83748 / +91 97899 04948. Please mention:

• The band you need: C or L
• The linewidth and tuning resolution your experiments require
• The output power needed at the device under test
• Whether the laser will be scripted (SCPI) or used for teaching