Optical source for coherent transceiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308329-A1
Application number	US-201615096636-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical source that implements a wavelength tunable laser diode (t-LD) and a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator within a single package is disclosed. The optical source, which outputs a modulated signal beam and a local beam of a continuous wave (CW), accompanies a control circuit mounted on several circuit boards. Only one of the circuit boards is rigidly mounted on the housing of the optical source. Rest of the circuit boards is moderately fixed to the housing through the rigidly fixed circuit board to suppress stresses caused in the housing and the circuit boards when the optical source is rigidly installed in the host system

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical source mounted on a host system, comprising:
an optical module that installs a semiconductor laser diode (LD) and an optical modulator; printed circuit boards (PCBs) each mounting circuits for operating the LD and the optical modulator thereon, the PCBs being electrically connected through a surface mountable connector; a housing that installs the optical module and the PCBs therein, wherein only one of the PCBs mounts another surface mountable connector to be connected to the host system, and the only one of the PCBs is rigidly fixed to the housing, and wherein the optical module and a rest of the only one of the PCBs are flexibly mounted on the housing.

2 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
further including a holder fixed to the housing, wherein the holder pushes the optical module against the housing.

3 . The optical source of claim 2 ,
further including a thermal sheet provided between the optical module and the housing, the thermal sheet being made of elastic material.

4 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
wherein the optical module is electrically connected to the only one of the PCBs rigidly fixed to the housing through a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board, and to the rest of the only one of the PCBs by lead pins provided in the optical module.

5 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
wherein the rest of the only one of the PCBs mounts thereon a modulation driver that drives the optical modulator installed within the optical module, and wherein the optical modulator provides a FPC board electrically connected to the modulation driver.

6 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes a top housing rigidly fixed to the host system and a bottom housing, wherein the top housing and the bottom housing sandwich the optical module, the PCBs, and the surface mountable connector therebetween, the bottom housing covering the PCBs.

7 . The optical source of claim 6 ,
wherein the PCBs include a first PCB and a second PCB, the second PCB is rigidly fixed to the top housing and provides the another surface mountable connector connected to the host system.

8 . The optical source of claim 7 ,
further including a holder provided between the second PCB and the top housing, the holder pushing the optical module against the top housing.

9 . The optical source of claim 8 ,
wherein the holder provides a center beam, elastic tabs, and corner tabs, the elastic tabs each extending from the center beam and pushing the optical module against the top housing, the corner tabs providing legs pushing the first PCB against the top housing.

10 . The optical source of claim 7 ,
further including a thermal sheet provided between the optical module and the top housing, the thermal sheet being made of elastic material.

11 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
wherein the LD installed within the optical module is a wavelength tunable laser diode.

12 . The optical source of claim 1 ,
wherein the optical modulator is a type of a Mach-Zehnder modulator made of semiconductor material.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries
• Sedi Inc

Inventors

• Ishii Kuniyuki
• Kurashima Hiromi
• Kondo Takashi

Classifications

• H01S5/042

  Electrical excitation {; Circuits therefor (monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261)} · CPC title

• H01S5/02415

  by using a thermo-electric cooler [TEC], e.g. Peltier element · CPC title

• H01S5/02236 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G02B6/4292

  the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/4281 Primary

  the printed circuit boards being flexible (in general H05K1/147) · CPC title