System for optical free-space transmission of a string of binary data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938476-B2
Application number	US-202016840003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2009
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

High power, high speed VCSEL arrays are employed in unique configurations of arrays and sub-arrays. Placement of a VCSEL array behind a lens allows spatial separation and directivity. Diffusion may be employed to increase alignment tolerance. Intensity modulation may be performed by operating groups of VCSEL emitters at maximum bias. Optical communications networks with high bandwidth may employ angular, spatial, and/or wavelength multiplexing. A variety of network topologies and bandwidths suitable for the data center may be implemented. Eye safe networks may employ VCSEL emitters may be paired with optical elements to reduce optical power density to eye safe levels.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for transmitting light, the system, comprising:
a first cluster of laser emitters associated with a first output wavelength;
a second cluster of laser emitters associated with a second output wavelength;
circuitry configured to determine a first activation state for the first cluster of laser emitters, the first activation state based on a binary value at a first bit position in a string of binary data; and
circuitry configured to determine a second activation state for the second cluster of laser emitters, the second activation state based on a binary value at a second bit position in the string of binary data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first output wavelength and the second output wavelength are adjusted to an eye safe wavelength.

3. The system in claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional clusters of laser emitters, wherein each additional cluster of laser emitters among the one or more additional clusters of laser emitters is associated with an additional output wavelength and each additional cluster of laser emitters has twice the number of laser emitters as a most significant binary group of laser emitters from a prior cluster of laser emitters.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second cluster of laser emitters has twice the number of laser emitters as the first cluster of laser emitters.

5. The system in claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional clusters of laser emitters, wherein each additional cluster of laser emitters among the one or more additional clusters of laser emitters has twice the number of laser emitters as a most significant binary group of laser emitters from a prior cluster of laser emitters.

Assignees

• Lumentum Operations Llc

Inventors

• Joseph John R
• Lear Kevin L
• Abell David

Classifications

• H01S5/005 Primary

  Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/32

  Holograms used as optical elements · CPC title

• H01S5/423

  having a vertical cavity · CPC title

• H01S5/02345

  Wire-bonding · CPC title

• H01S5/50

  Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30 · CPC title