Project Results
Stay tuned to hear about the latest progress of the COCOPOP project.
Results and resources will be added as soon as they are available.
Unlocking Comb Potential: 3× Throughput and 15 dB RIN Reduction
Pilot Photonics has successfully demonstrated comb-demultiplexing using injection-locking which filters and simultaneously amplifies the comb lines. This demonstration marked the successful completion of Milestone 1 in the project. Compared to conventional passive filtering, this active technique delivers over 15 dB improvement in relative intensity noise (RIN) and enables a 3× increase in transmission capacity with 160 Gbit/s PAM4 on a single wavelength. This result confirms the performance advantage of the COCOPOP architecture and its potential to enable high-density, scalable optical interconnects.
Dual-Path to Scalable Comb Sources
SiN Rings and Bragg Combs
COCOPOP has demonstrated optical frequency comb generation across two integrated photonics platforms: a Silicon Nitride (SiN) micro-ring resonator and a Bragg grating-based comb. The SiN micro-ring achieved comb generation in a breadboard module, validating its role as the core of a scalable ELS. In parallel, the Bragg comb offers a promising lower-power alternative, producing a sculpted comb spectrum to produce only the desired number of wavelengths without the need for high-power pumping.
CW-WDM 16-Channel Laser Array
Pilot Photonics has developed a 16-channel photonic integrated circuit, aligned to the CW-WDM MSA O-band grid with 200 GHz spacing. This PIC is the injection-locked demultiplexer for the COCOPOP Comb-based ELS, but can also serve as an independent ELS for today's systems. The PIC is now part of Pilot Photonics' commercial product portfolio.
ExCELS ELSFP - A Comb-based ELS
The ExCELS (External Comb-Enhanced Laser Source) platform combines the spectral precision of combs with the power and stability of laser arrays, offering the best of both worlds. Designed for pluggable form factors, ExCELS enables coherent-capable transmission inside data centres, aligning with the CW-WDM MSA and future-proofing AI and cloud-scale networks. A flyer summarising ExCELS capabilities and specifications is now available for early adopters.
COCOPOP has received funding from the European Union's HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITION CHALLENGES Programme under grant agreement No. 101159210.