Glossary

An algorithm that allows a WDM optical transceiver to tune itself without the manual input of a technician. It makes the process of network installation and management much easier.

An optical amplifier built on a semiconductor chip and that can be integrated with other optical components on the same chip. Must be produced on an active material such as InP (so they can't be made in silicon)

The evolution of the SFP transceiver module that can support 10Gbps channels (compared to the original SFP which supports 1G)

The SFP transceiver module version that can support speeds of 25Gbps.

A key metric of communication systems that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise.

Photonics applications and devices that use silicon material as an optical medium.

but the disadvantage of lacking native laser and amplifier components. These active components must be made from a different optical material."

A compact pluggable transceiver module that can be connected to networking hardware (switches, routers)

The networking paradigm that decouples the control layer from networking hardware and centralizes it in a hub (usually in the cloud). This means that the central office can manage all the hardware or virtualize network functions in servers. This makes network management much easier.

The different "colors" of the electromagnetic spectrum. The most common band for optical communications is the C-band (1530-1565nm) but there also other bands such as the L-band (1565-1625), the S-band (1460-1530nm) and the O-band (1260-1360nm).

The speed of light in a vacuum (represented by c) is a fundamental physical constant and the "speed limit" of the universe. However, if light travels in a medium (such as air or fiber), the speed of light will decrease.

Acronym for "Size, Weight, and Power". These are key parameters to be minimized in most technology applications.

Companies that buy telecommunications equipment and use it to build and manage telecom infrastructure and systems. They provide the full system and management solution for network carriers.