Hybrid optical transmitter and/or receiver structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10211925-B2
Application number	US-201715849390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A device may include a substrate. The device may include a carrier mounted to the substrate. The device may include a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC) mounted on the carrier. The transmitter PIC may include a plurality of lasers that generate an optical signal when a voltage or current is applied to one of the plurality of lasers. The device may include a first microelectromechanical structure (MEMS) mounted to the substrate. The first MEMS may include a first set of lenses. The device may include a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) mounted to the substrate. The PLC may be optically coupled to the plurality of lasers by the first set of lenses of the first MEMS. The device may include a second MEMS, mounted to the substrate, that may include a second set of lenses, which may be configured to optically couple the PLC to an optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a carrier mounted to the substrate;
a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC) mounted on the carrier,
the transmitter PIC including a plurality of lasers that generate an optical signal when a voltage or current is applied to one of the plurality of lasers;

a first microelectromechanical structure (MEMS) mounted to the substrate,
the first MEMS including a first set of lenses;

a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) mounted to the substrate,
the PLC being optically coupled to the plurality of lasers by the first set of lenses of the first MEMS; and

a second MEMS mounted to the substrate,
the second MEMS including a second set of lenses,
the second set of lenses being configured to optically couple the PLC to an optical fiber.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiver PIC mounted on the carrier,
the receiver PIC including a plurality of photodetectors optically coupled to the PLC by the first MEMS.

3. The device of claim 1 , where the substrate is a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy based substrate.

4. The device of claim 1 , where the PLC includes at least one of:
a rotator,
a polarization beam splitter,
a polarization beam combiner,
a multiplexer, or
a demultiplexer.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an actuator,
the actuator being associated with the first MEMS,
the actuator being configured to position the first set of lenses to cause the first set of lenses to optically couple the plurality of lasers to the PLC.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical source assembly that includes the plurality of lasers,
the plurality of lasers being tunable by a control signal received by the optical source assembly; and

an optical feedback assembly,
the optical feedback assembly receiving the optical signal from the plurality of lasers and being associated with generating the control signal, based on the optical signal, for the optical source assembly.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermo-electric cooler (TEC),
the TEC being configured to cause an adjustment to a temperature of a portion of the device.

Assignees

• Infinera Corp

Inventors

• Butrie Timothy
• Reffle Michael
• Han Xiaofeng
• Ziari Mehrdad
• Lal Vikrant
• Evans Peter W
• Kish Jr Fred A
• Pavinski Donald J
• Tang Jie
• Coult David

Classifications

• G02B6/4234

  Passive alignment along the optical axis and active alignment perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• G02B6/4215

  the intermediate optical elements being wavelength selective optical elements, e.g. variable wavelength optical modules or wavelength lockers (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B10/60

  Receivers · CPC title

• H04B10/40 Primary

  Transceivers · CPC title

• G02B6/4204

  the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms (encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208) · CPC title