Abstract:
A FEC enhanced system for an optical transport or communication network that includes an optical transmitter that has a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip having an integrated circuit comprising an array of modulated sources providing a plurality of optical modulated channel signals comprising digital bit data streams where each signal is at a wavelength on a wavelength grid. The modulated channel signal outputs from the modulated sources are provided to an integrated multiplexer in the circuit to provide a WDM output signal at a circuit output. At least one FEC encoder is coupled to the modulated sources to encode error-correcting code containing redundant information of the data bit stream for each channel signal. An optical receiver in the network includes a receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) chip having an integrated circuit comprising an input to a demultiplexer and an array of photodetectors coupled to outputs of the demultiplexer. At least one FEC decoder is coupled to the photodetectors to provide decoded data relating to the bit error rate (BER). Information relating to the BER is provided by a controller at the optical receiver to provide real-time information to the optical transmitter relating to optical characteristics of the modulated sources based upon the BER data.
Abstract:
An optical receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) comprises a semiconductor monolithic chip having an input to receive from an optical transmission link a combined channel signal originating from an optical transmitter source and comprising a plurality of channel signals having different wavelengths forming a wavelength grid. An optical decombiner is integrated in the chip and optically coupled to the input to receive the multiplexed channel signal and provide a decombined individual channel signal on an output waveguide of a plurality of such output waveguides provided from the optical decombiner. A plurality of photodetectors are also integrated in the chip and each photodetector is optically coupled to one of the output waveguides to receive a decombined channel signal and convert the channel signal to an electrical signal. A controller is coupled to receive a portion of the converted signals to determine at least one performance property of the signals and provide service channel signal as feedback about that property via the semiconductor monolithic chip to the optical transmitter source. The controller is coupled to an integrated optical service channel (OSC) on the chip that has a light source which is modulated by the service channel signal. The light source may be integrated on the chip. The optical service channel (OSC) is coupled as an input to the decombiner for transport off the chip to optical transmitter source. If there is an optical amplifier at the input of the chip, the service channel signai will be amplified by that amplifier. Such an optical amplifier may be an off-chip rare earth doped amplifier or an on-chip semiconductor optical amplifier.
Abstract:
A single monolithic transceiver chip for handling optical to electrical to optical conversion of optical WDM signals in an optical transmission network which has an optical WDM signal input for reception of a WDM signal and an optical WDM signal output for transmission of a WDM signal and a plurality of electrical signal outputs and a plurality of electrical signal inputs. The chip further comprises an integrated decombiner coupled to the optical signal input that separates the WDM signal into a plurality of separate optical channel signals, an integrated array of photodetectors that each receives a respective optical channel signal and that converts the optical channel signal into an electrical signal and that provides the converted electrical signals to the electrical signal outputs of the transceiver chip. The transceiver chip also includes an integrated array of laser sources that provide a plurality of optical outputs at different wavelengths, an integrated array of electro-optic modulators that each modulate a respective optical output from a laser source with an electrical signal received from the electrical signal inputs of the chip to provide a plurality of modulated optical channel signals and an integrated optical combiner that receives the modulated optical channel signals and combines them into a single WDM signal that is provided at the optical WDM signal output.
Abstract:
A method of calibrating a monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip is disclosed where the chip contains integrated arrays of laser sources and electro-optic modulators forming a plurality of different wavelength signal channels where each laser source on the chip is sequentially selected and tested for the output power and operational wavelength. Calibration data is initially determined by checking an amount of output power of each laser output and any offset of each laser operational wavelength from a desired predetermined value. Then, adjustment of the operational wavelength of each laser source is accomplished to substantially match the desired predetermined value. The laser source output power and operational wavelength may then be rechecked to determine if there is any remaining offset of each laser operational wavelength from the desired predetermined value. If so, the laser source output power can be readjusted to a desired amount and its operational wavelength can be readjusted to the desired predetermined wavelength value. The final calibration data it then stored for future reference as a benchmark in later adjustment of laser source output power and operational wavelength for each laser source on the tested chip when the chip has been installed in the field.
Abstract:
A power monitoring and correction to a desired power level of a laser or group of lasers utilizes two photodetectors which are employed to accurately determine the amount of output power from the front end or “customer” end of a laser or a plurality of such lasers. During power detection, which may be accomplished intermittently or continuously, the laser is modulated with a tone of low frequency modulation. One photodetector at the rear of the laser is employed to detect the DC value of the frequency tone, i.e., a value or number representative of the AC peak-to-peak swing, amplitude or modulation depth of the tone. Also, the rear photodetector may be employed to determine the optical modulation index (OMI). In either case, these values may be employed in a closed loop feedback system to adjust or otherwise calibrate the value of the low tone frequency relative to the total desired bias current applied to the laser. A front photodetector is employed to receive a portion of the total output of the laser, or of each laser, and the average output power of the laser, or of each laser, is determined from already knowing the optical modulation index (OMI) via the rear photodetector. Thus, by measuring and/or calibrating the laser OMI with the use of a rear photodetector, the average output power from the front end output can be unambiguously determined from detection of the AC peak-to-peak swing or amplitude of the low frequency tone received via the front photodetector.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus operates an array of laser sources as an integrated array on a single substrate or as integrated in an optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) maintaining the emission wavelengths of such integrated laser sources at their targeted emission wavelengths or at least to more approximate their desired respective emission wavelengths. Wavelength changing elements may accompany the laser sources to bring about the change in their operational or emission wavelength to be corrected to or toward the desired or target emission wavelength. The wavelength changing elements may be comprise of temperature changing elements, current and voltage changing elements or bandgap changing elements. Identification tags in the form of low frequency tones may be applied relative to respective laser source outputs with a different frequency assigned to each laser source so that each laser can be specifically identified in a feedback control for providing correction signals to the wavelength changing elements to correct for the emission wavelength of respective laser sources.
Abstract:
An optical modulator which is capable of lowering the degree of chirping without deteriorating the extinction characteristic. An intermediate layer is interposed between a well layer and an n-side barrier layer and tensile strain is produced in the well layer, whereby a relationship Ew
Abstract:
A digital optical network (DON) is a new approach to low-cost, more compact optical transmitter modules and optical receiver modules for deployment in optical transport networks (OTNs). One important aspect of a digital optical network is the incorporation in these modules of transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips and receiver photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips in lieu of discrete modulated sources and detector sources with discrete multiplexers or demultiplexers.
Abstract:
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip comprising an array of modulated sources, each providing a modulated signal output at a channel wavelength different from the channel wavelength of other modulated sources and a wavelength selective combiner having an input optically coupled to received all the signal outputs from the modulated sources and provide a combined output signal on an output waveguide from the chip. The modulated sources, combiner and output waveguide are all integrated on the same chip.
Abstract:
By forming quantum well (QW) structures with two different heterojunctions having different band offsets it is possible to form QWs having, when subjected to optical excitation, dipoles. The presence of a dipole in a narrow enough well results in QWs having absorption edges which, unlike those of conventional QWs can be shifted to the blue by application of an electric field of appropriate polarity.