OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS

• US 20110052120A1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Paul Kessier, Tan, Michael Renne Ty, Wang, Shih-Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,869,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/33
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to optical interconnects. In one embodiment of the present invention, an optical interconnect comprises a laser configured to output an optical signal and a laser-diode driver electronically coupled to the laser. The laser-diode driver induces the laser to output the optical signal in response to an electrical signal received by the laser-diode driver. The optical interconnect includes a diffractive optical element and a plurality of photodetectors. The optical interconnect is positioned to receive the optical signal and configured to split the optical signal into a plurality of optical signals, and each photodetector converts one of the plurality of optical signals into an electrical signal that is output on a separate signal line.

Claims

1. An optical interconnect comprising:

a laser configured to output an optical signal;

a laser driver electronically coupled to the laser, wherein the laser driver induces the laser to output the optical signal in response to an electrical signal received by the laser driver;

a diffractive optical element positioned to receive the optical signal and configured to split the optical signal into a plurality of approximately identical optical signals; and

a photodetector array, wherein each photodetector of the photodetector array converts one of the plurality of optical signals into an electrical signal that is output on a separate signal line.

2. The interconnect of claim 1 further comprises a focusing element positioned between the diffractive optical element and the photodetector array.

3. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the focusing element further comprises substantially regularly spaced prisms protruding from a surface opposite the surface facing the diffractive optical element and have different shapes and angles to yield beams which are focused on the detector.

4. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the focusing element further comprises a spherically contoured Fresnel lens surface located opposite the surface facing the diffractive optical element.

5. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the focusing element further comprises one of:

a lens positioned between the diffractive optical element and the photodetector array such that the lens is configured to direct each of the plurality of optical signals to one of the photodetectors in the photodetector array; and

a refractive plano convex lens.

6. The interconnect of claim 2 wherein the focusing element further comprises a plurality of lenses, each lens positioned between the diffractive optical element and the photodetector array such that each lens directs one of the plurality of optical signals to one of the photodetectors in the photodetector array.

7. The interconnect of claim 1 further comprises a transimpedance amplifier electronically coupled to the array of photodetectors, the transimpedance amplifier amplifies the electrical signals output from the photodetector of the photodetector array.

8. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the diffractive optical element further comprises a diffractive beam splitter that splits the optical signal into the plurality of optical signals.

9. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the laser further comprises one of:

a vertical cavity surface emitting laser;

a distributed feedback laser;

a quantum well laser;

a multiple quantum well laser;

light-emitting diode;

a double heterostructure laser; and

any other device suitable for emitting a single optical signal.

10. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the laser driver further comprises an integrated circuit configured to supply a modulated current to the laser in response to the modulated intensity of the electrical signal received by the laser-diode driver.

11. The interconnect of claim 1 wherein the photodetectors in the photodetector array further comprise photodiodes.

12. An optical interconnect comprising:

a plurality of lasers, each laser configured to emit a corresponding optical signal;

a plurality of lasers drivers, each laser driver electronically coupled to one of the plurality of lasers such that each laser driver induces a corresponding laser to emit the corresponding optical signal in response to an electrical signal received by the laser driver;

a focusing element positioned to receive the plurality of optical signals and output a single optical signal; and

a photodetector that converts the single optical signal into a single electrical signal that is output on a signal line.

13. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the focusing element further comprises substantially regularly spaced prisms protruding from a surface facing the plurality of lasers.

14. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the focusing element further comprises a spherically contoured Fresnel lens surface facing the plurality of lasers.

15. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the focusing element further comprises a lens positioned between the photodetector and the plurality of lasers such that the lens is configured to direct each of the plurality of optical signals to the photodetector.

16. The interconnect of claim 12 further comprises a plurality of lenses positioned between the photodetector and the plurality of lasers such that each lens is configured and positioned to direct one of the plurality of optical signals to the photodetector.

17. The interconnect of claim 12 further comprises a transimpedance amplifier electronically coupled to the photodetector, the transimpedance amplifier amplifies an electrical signal output from the photodetector.

18. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the diffractive optical element further comprises a diffractive beam splitter that directs the plurality of optical signals into the single optical signal.

19. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the lasers further comprises one of:

vertical cavity surface emitting lasers;

distributed feedback lasers;

quantum well lasers;

multiple quantum well lasers;

light-emitting diode;

double heterostructure lasers; and

any other devices suitable for emitting optical signals.

20. The interconnect of claim 12 wherein the laser-diode driver further comprises an integrated circuit configured to supply a modulated current to one of the plurality of lasers in response to the intensity of the electrical signal received by the laser-diode driver.