Scalable fast tunable Si-assisted hybrid laser with redundancy
US9768587B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 2, 2016 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 2, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/4087
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide a tunable laser that includes a set of M reflective silicon optical amplifiers (RSOAs) and a set of N narrow-band reflectors. It also includes a silicon-photonic optical switch, having M amplifier ports, which are coupled through a set of M optical waveguides 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, which is optically coupled to the lasing cavity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.