Optical & wireless comms laboratory.

The Tektronix European Optical and Wireless Innovation Laboratory.

Tektronix, and IRCICA, a major French research laboratory, have opened a new optical and wireless communications innovation laboratory at the University of Lille (F). Fully outfitted with the latest Tektronix high-speed test solutions, the new laboratory will focus on coherent optical and THz wireless transceiver technology research while also making its facilities available to external companies working to develop high-speed optical and wireless technologies. The new facility will be named The Tektronix European Optical and Wireless Innovation Laboratory.

Fueled by the insatiable demand for ever-faster data transmission capacity around the world, the new lab will explore such technologies as spatial division multiplexing and multicore fibers in an effort to drive optical data transmission rates beyond the petabyte per second range (PB/s) – significantly faster than what’s possible currently.

To support such advanced research, the lab will be outfitted with the most capable coherent optical test solutions available in the industry. End-to-end transmit and receive test solutions in the lab will include a Tektronix AWG70001A 50Gs/S waveform generator, OM5110 46 Gbaud multi-format complex optical transmitter and their DPO77002SX ATI 70GHz real time oscilloscopes.

“Pushing data rates over PB/s is major challenge that requires the best of the best,” said Nathalie Rolland, IRCICA director. “For this new lab, IRCICA brings its expertise in modeling, optical characterization and state-of-the-art active and passive fibers manufacturing while Tektronix brings its industry leading next generation test equipment that will enable us to quantify signal quality in terms of BER, EVM and eye diagrams.”

Rolland also noted that the research is being conducted within the framework of the CPER (Les contrats de plan État‐Région ) “Photonics for Society,” Labex CEMPI (Le Laboratoire d'Excellence Centre Européen pour les Mathématiques, la Physique et leurs interactions, and Equipex “FLUX(Fibres optiques pour les hauts Flux).”

“This collaboration with IRCICA to open the Tektronix European Optical and Wireless Innovation Laboratory aligns well with our focus to enable innovation,” said Pat Byrne, President Tektronix. “We have a strong commitment to drive critical advancements in coherent optical and THz transceiver technologies in support of industry needs.”