摘要:
A tunable laser includes a reflective silicon optical amplifier, RSOA (104) with a reflective end and an interface end and an array of narrow-band reflectors (118), which each have a different center wavelength. It also includes a silicon-photonic optical switch (116), having an input port and N output ports that are coupled to a different narrow-band reflector in the array of narrow-band reflectors. The tunable laser also includes an optical waveguide (107) coupled between the interface end of the RSOA and the input of the silicon- photonic optical switch. The frequency of this tunable laser can be tuned in discrete increments by selectively coupling the input port of the silicon-photonic optical switch to one of the N output ports, thereby causing the RSOA to form a lasing cavity with a selected narrow-band reflector coupled to the selected output port. The tunable laser also includes a laser output (110, 112) optically coupled to the lasing cavity.
摘要:
When an unsafe port with a loss of signal is detected, a transceiver may enable one laser in a group of lasers associated with the unsafe port and may disable the remaining lasers. Then, the transceiver may instruct a transmitter associated with the one laser to transmit an optical signal on the unsafe port using a reduced transmit power that is less than a threshold value associated with the Class 1 conditions and at a different time than enabled lasers in other groups of lasers. Alternatively, for a safe port on which valid communication is received, the transceiver may enable lasers in a group of lasers associated with the safe port. Then, the transceiver may instruct transmitters associated with the lasers in this group of lasers to transmit optical signals on the safe port using a normal transmit power for the lasers that is greater than the threshold value.
摘要:
A macro-switch is described. This macro-switch includes facing integrated circuits, one of which implements optical waveguides that convey optical signals, and the other which implements control logic, electrical switches and memory buffers at each of multiple switch sites. Moreover, the macro-switch has a fully connected topology between the switch sites. Furthermore, the memory buffers at each switch site provide packet buffering and congestion relief without causing undue scheduling/routing complexity. Consequently, the macro-switch can be scaled to an arbitrarily large switching matrix (i.e., an arbitrary number of switch sites and/or switching stages).
摘要:
Disclosed is a tunable lasers that includes a set of M reflective silicon optical amplifiers (804, 806), RSOAs, and a set of N narrow-band reflectors (810, 812). It also includes a silicon-photonic optical switch (814), having M amplifier ports, which are coupled through a set of M optical waveguides (833, 834) to the set of M RSOAs, and N reflector ports, which are coupled to the set of N narrow-band reflectors. The tunable laser also includes a switching mechanism that facilitates coupling at least one selected amplifier port from the M amplifier ports with a selected reflector port from the N reflector ports, thereby causing an RSOA coupled to the selected amplifier port to form a lasing cavity with a narrow-band reflector coupled to the selected reflector port. The tunable laser also includes a laser output (822), which is optically coupled to the lasing cavity.
摘要:
An optical source uses feedback to maintain a substantially fixed spacing between adjacent wavelengths in a set of wavelengths in a wavelength comb output by the optical source. In particular, a set of light sources in the optical source provide optical signals having the set of wavelengths. Moreover, the optical signals are output at diffraction angles of an optical device in the optical source (such as an echelle grating), and optical detectors in the optical source determine optical metrics associated with the optical signals. Furthermore, control logic in the optical source provides control signals to the set of light sources based on the determined optical metrics.
摘要:
A hybrid integrated module (100) includes a semiconductor die (110) mechanically coupled face-to-face to an integrated device (116) in which substrate has been removed. For example, the integrated circuit includes an optical waveguide (136) that conveys an optical signal, which is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer in which the back-side silicon substrate or handler has been completely removed. An optical device (134) is disposed on the bottom surface (130) of an oxide layer (126) (such as a buried-oxide layer) in the integrated device, and the geometry and materials in the integrated device (116) are selected and/or defined so that the optical signal is evanescently coupled between the optical waveguide (136) and the optical device (134).
摘要:
A dual-ring-modulated laser includes a gain medium (202) having a reflective end coupled to an associated gain-medium reflector and an output end, which is coupled to a reflector circuit through an input waveguide to form a lasing cavity. The reflector circuit comprises: a first ring modulator (216); a second ring modulator (217); and a shared waveguide that optically couples the first and second ring modulators together. The first and second ring modulators have resonance peaks that are tuned to be offset in alignment from each other to provide an effective reflectance having a flat-top response, which is aligned with an associated lasing cavity mode. The first and second ring modulators are driven in tandem based on the same electrical input signal, whereby the resonance peaks of the first and second ring modulators shift wavelengths in the same direction during modulation, and an effective reflectance stays within the flat-top wavelength range.
摘要:
An optical source includes a semiconductor optical amplifier that provides an optical signal, and a photonic chip with first and second ring resonators that operate as Vernier rings. When the optical source is operated below a lasing threshold, one or more thermal-tuning mechanisms, which may be thermally coupled to the first ring resonator and/or the second ring resonator, may be adjusted to align resonances of the first ring resonator and the second ring resonator based on measured optical power on a shared optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first and second ring resonators. Then, when the optical source is operated above the lasing threshold, a common thermal-tuning mechanism may be adjusted to lock the aligned resonances with an optical cavity mode of the optical source based on a measured optical power on an optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first ring resonator.
摘要:
A multi-chip module (MCM) is described. This MCM includes two substrates that are passively self-assembled on another substrate using hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials on facing surfaces of the substrates and liquid surface tension as the restoring force. Regions with a hydrophilic material on the two substrates overlap regions with the hydrophilic material on the other substrate. These regions on the other substrate may be surrounded by a region with a hydrophobic material. Spacers on a surface of one of the two substrates may align optical waveguides disposed on the two substrates, so that the optical waveguides are coplanar. This fabrication technique may allow low-loss hybrid optical sources to be fabricated by edge coupling the two substrates. For example, a first of the two substrates may be a III/V compound semiconductor and a second of the two substrates may be a silicon-on-insulator photonic chip.
摘要:
An integrated circuit includes an optical source (such as a laser) with a lens, which is disposed on an isolator. This isolator is disposed on a semiconductor layer in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform that includes an optical coupler and an optical waveguide. During operation, the optical source generates an optical signal that propagates toward the isolator so that the lens focuses the optical signal. Furthermore, the isolator reduces or eliminates back reflection of the optical signal toward the optical source, and the optical coupler couples the optical signal into the optical waveguide.