Mixed analog and digital chip-scale reconfigurable WDM network

• US 20040114930A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hager, Harold, Hamilton, Michael C., Krug, William P., Scherer, Axel
• Granted Patent: US 7,894,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/79
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3528 the optical element being a prism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0226 Fixed carrier allocation, e.g. according to service
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0247 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0252 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0305 in end terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0035 using miscellaneous components, e.g. circulator, polarisation, acousto/thermo optical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/907 Synchronous optical network, SONET

Abstract

The present invention provides a mixed analog and digital chip-scale reconfigurable WDM network. The network suitably includes a router that enables rapidly configurable wavelength selective routers of fiber optic data. The router suitably incorporates photonic wavelength selective optical add/drop filters and multiplexers.

Claims

1. A mixed analog and digital chip-scale wavelength selective router, the router comprising:

a plurality of optical de-multiplexers couplable to a fiber optic input for separating light into a plurality of wavelengths, the plurality of wavelengths including a first range of wavelengths and a second range of wavelengths;

a first optical component configured to receive the first range of wavelengths and to programmably separate the first range of wavelengths into a first plurality of channels;

a second optical component configured to receive the second range of wavelengths and to programmably separate the second range of wavelengths into a second plurality of channels; and

a plurality of optical multiplexers in optical communication with the first and second optical components.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexers include spaced-apart passive optical elements.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the first range of wavelengths is a digital range of wavelengths.

4. The router of claim 3, wherein the first optical component includes programmable resonator filters.

5. The router of claim 4, wherein the programmable resonator filters include microresonators.

6. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonators include rings.

7. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonators include disks.

8. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonators include photonic crystals.

9. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonator is controlled by active layer emission.

10. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonator is controlled by optical pumping.

11. The router of claim 5, wherein the microresonators are configured in shuttle interconnect relation to each other.

12. The router of claim 1, wherein the second optical component includes a plurality of superprisms.

13. The router of claim 12, wherein the superprisms include steerable superprisms.

14. The router of claim 1, wherein the second optical component includes a plurality of photonic defect crystals.

15. The router of claim 14, wherein the photonic crystals include steerable photonic crystals.

16. The router of claim 15, wherein the steerable photonic crystals include electro-optical polymers.

17. The router of claim 15, wherein the steerable photonic crystals include electro-optic organic molecules.

18. A method for routing optical signals on a chip, the method comprising:

configuring a first optical component to direct a first optical signal to a first optical multiplexer according to a wavelength of an optical signal;

configuring a second optical component to direct a second optical signal to a second optical multiplexer according to the wavelength of the optical signal;

directing an optical signal received at an optical demultiplexer to the first or the second optical component according to the wavelength of the optical signal;

directing an optical signal received at the first optical component to the first optical multiplexer; and

directing an optical signal received at the second optical component to the second optical multiplexer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the first optical component includes configuring steerable superprisms.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein configuring steerable superprisms includes heating the superprism to a temperature according to a temperature corresponding to the wavelength.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the configuring steerable superprisms includes subjecting an electro-optic polymer to an electrical charge.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the first optical component includes configuring photonic crystals.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein configuring photonic crystals includes subjecting an electro-optical polymer to an electrical charge.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the configuring the photonic crystals includes subjecting an electro-optic organic molecule to an electrical charge.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the second optical component includes configuring microresonators.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein configuring the microresonators includes electrically pumping microresonators.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein configuring the microresonators includes active layer emission.

28. A silicon chip for routing analog and digital optical signals, the chip comprising:

a refractive optical component configured to receive an optical signal at an input and to direct the optical signal according to a wavelength associated with the optical signal;

a first configurable optical component in optical communication with the refractive optical component to receive optical signals, the wavelength within a first range of wavelengths, the first configurable optical component being configured to direct the optical signal to a first destination according to the wavelength associated with the signal; and

a second configurable optical component in optical communication with the refractive optical component, the wavelength being within a second range of wavelengths, the second configurable optical component being configured to direct the optical signal to a second destination according to the wavelength associated with the signal.

29. The chip of claim 28, wherein the first range is an analog range and the second range is a digital range.

30. The chip of claim 28, wherein the first configurable optical component includes programmable resonator filters.

31. The chip of claim 30, wherein the programmable resonator filters include microresonators.

32. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonators include rings.

33. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonators include disks.

34. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonators include photonic crystals.

35. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonator is controlled by active layer emission.

36. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonator is controlled by optical pumping.

37. The chip of claim 31, wherein the microresonators are configured in shuttle interconnect relation to each other.

38. The chip of claim 28, wherein the second configurable optical component includes a plurality of superprisms.

39. The chip of claim 38, wherein the superprisms include steerable superprisms.

40. The chip of claim 28, wherein the second configurable optical component includes a plurality of photonic defect crystals.

41. The chip of claim 40, wherein the photonic crystals include steerable photonic crystals.

42. The chip of claim 41, wherein the steerable photonic crystals include electro-optical polymers.

43. The chip of claim 41, wherein the steerable photonic crystals include electro-optic organic molecules.

44. A method of manufacturing a silicon chip for routing analog and digital optical signals, the method comprising:

providing a SOI wafer;

growing a perovskite interfacial layer on the SOI wafer, the perovskite interfacial layer being configured as an optical emitting structure of a microresonator;

growing a low refractive index optical isolation layer on the perovskite interfacial layer;

growing a first low carrier confinement layer on the low refractive index optical isolation layer;

growing an InGaAsN quantum well active layer on the first low carrier confinement layer;

growing a second low carrier confinement layer on the InGaAsN quantum well active layer.

45. The method of manufacturing of claim 44, wherein the low refractive index optical isolation includes oxidized high Al mole fraction AlGaAs.

46. The method of manufacturing of claim 44, wherein the peorvskite layer includes a p-n junction.

47. The method of manufacturing of claim 46, wherein the p-n junction is a light emitting diode.