Laser module for optical data communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11424830-B2
Application number	US-202017014665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A laser module includes a laser source and an optical marshalling module. The laser source is configured to generate and output a plurality of laser beams. The plurality of laser beams have different wavelengths relative to each other. The different wavelengths are distinguishable to an optical data communication system. The optical marshalling module is configured to receive the plurality of laser beams from the laser source and distribute a portion of each of the plurality of laser beams to each of a plurality of optical output ports of the optical marshalling module, such that all of the different wavelengths of the plurality of laser beams are provided to each of the plurality of optical output ports of the optical marshalling module. An optical amplifying module can be included to amplify laser light output from the optical marshalling module and provide the amplified laser light as output from the laser module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser module, comprising:
a laser source having a plurality of optical output ports, the laser source configured to transmit a plurality of laser beams through the plurality of optical output ports, the plurality of laser beams having different wavelengths relative to each other; and
an optical distribution structure having a plurality of optical input ports and a plurality of optical output ports, the optical distribution structure positioned in a side-by-side and contacting manner with the laser source, that the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure respectively aligned with the plurality of optical output ports of the laser source, such that the plurality of laser beams are transmitted from the plurality of optical output ports of the laser source directly into the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure, the optical distribution structure configured to distribute a portion of each of the plurality of laser beams to each of the plurality of optical output ports of the optical distribution structure so that all of the different wavelengths of the plurality of laser beams are provided to each of the plurality of optical output ports of the optical distribution structure.

2. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the laser source and the optical distribution structure are separate components.

3. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate, the laser source having a bottom surface attached to the substrate, the optical distribution structure having a bottom surface attached to the substrate.

4. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the laser source has a substantially planar top surface, and wherein the optical distribution structure has a substantially planar top surface that is substantially co-planar with the substantially planar top surface of the laser source.

5. The laser module as recited in claim 4 , wherein a direction of transmission of the plurality of laser beams from the laser source to the optical distribution structure is substantially parallel to the top surfaces of the laser source and optical distribution structure.

6. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein there is no optical waveguide present between any of the plurality of optical output ports of the laser source and any of the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure.

7. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the respective alignment between the plurality of optical output ports of the laser source the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure does not require turning of any of the plurality of laser beams between any of the plurality of optical output ports of the laser source and any of the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure.

8. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical distribution structure is configured to maintain a polarization of each of the plurality of laser beams between the plurality of optical input ports of the optical distribution structure and the plurality of optical output ports of the optical distribution structure.

9. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical distribution structure is configured to provide a substantially same amount of optical power at each of the different wavelengths of the plurality of laser beams to each of the plurality of optical output ports of the optical distribution structure.

10. The laser module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the laser source includes a plurality of lasers configured to respectively generate the plurality of laser beams.

11. A planar lightwave circuit, comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a number (N) of laser beams having different wavelengths relative to each other, wherein N is greater than one; and
a waveguide network configured to distribute the number (N) of laser beams to a number (M) of optical output ports such that each of the different wavelengths of the number (N) of laser beams is provided to each of the number (M) of optical output ports of the waveguide network so that all of the different wavelengths of the number (N) of laser beams are provided to each of the optical output ports of the waveguide network, wherein the waveguide network includes a network of splitter-combiner devices, wherein each splitter-combiner device has a first optical input, a second optical input, a first optical output, and a second optical output, the first optical input connected to receive a first set of wavelengths from the number (N) of laser beams, the second optical input connected to receive a second set of wavelengths from the number (N) of laser beams, each splitter-combiner device configured to transmit both the first set of wavelengths and the second set of wavelengths to each of the first optical output and the second optical output.

12. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the number (N) of laser beams is a power of 2.

13. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 12 , wherein a total number of splitter-combiner devices in the waveguide network is equal to one-half of a product of the number (N) of laser beams and a base 2 logarithm of the number (N) of laser beams.

14. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 12 , wherein the waveguide network includes a number (X) of splitter-combiner stages equal to a base 2 logarithm of the number (N) of laser beams.

15. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 14 , wherein each of the number (X) of splitter-combiners stages includes a number (Y) of splitter-combiner devices equal to one-half of the number (N) of laser beams.

16. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the laser source includes a number (N) of distributed feedback lasers configured to respectively generate the number (N) of laser beams.

17. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the number (M) of optical output ports is equal to the number (N) of laser beams.

18. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
a number (M) of optical amplifiers respectively connected to the number (M) of optical output ports.

19. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the laser source and the waveguide network are optically integrated together within the planar lightwave circuit such that a separate waveguide device is not used to connect the laser source to the waveguide network.

20. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the waveguide network is configured to maintain a polarization of each of the number (N) of laser beams between the laser source and the number (M) of optical output ports of the waveguide network.

21. The planar lightwave circuit as recited in claim 11 , wherein the waveguide network is configured to provide a substantially same amount of optical power at each of the different wavelengths of the number (N) of laser beams to each of the number (M) of optical output ports of the waveguide network.

Assignees

• Ayar Labs Inc

Inventors

• Sun Chen
• Meade Roy Edward
• Wade Mark
• Wright Alexandra
• Stojanovic Vladimir
• Ram Rajeev
• Popovic Milos
• Van Orden Derek

Classifications

• H01S5/02476

  Heat spreaders, i.e. improving heat flow between laser chip and heat dissipating elements · CPC title

• H01S5/4087

  emitting more than one wavelength · CPC title

• H04B10/506

  Multiwavelength transmitters · CPC title

• H04J14/0256

  at the optical channel layer · CPC title

• H01S5/4012

  Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms · CPC title