OPTICAL COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20160087724A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Liu, Tze-An, Hsu, Po-Er, Chen, Hsin-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25758 between a central unit and a single remote unit by means of an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/504 using direct modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/506 Multiwavelength transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems

Abstract

An optical communication device and an optical communication method are provided. The optical communication device includes a laser source, an optical amplifier, and an optical signal generating chip. The laser source generates a laser beam. The optical amplifier is coupled to the laser source and amplifies light intensity of the laser beam in a specific wavelength band. The optical signal generating chip includes a micro-resonator and a modulation module. The micro-resonator is coupled to the optical amplifier and generates a multi-wavelength frequency comb according to the amplified laser beam. The modulation module is coupled to the micro-resonator and modulates a communication signal set to generate a plurality of optical modulated signals according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb.

Claims

1. An optical communication device, comprising:

a laser source for generating a laser beam;

an optical amplifier coupled to the laser source for amplifying light intensity of the laser beam in a specific wavelength band; and

an optical signal generating chip, comprising;

a micro-resonator coupled to the optical amplifier for generating a multi-wavelength frequency comb according to the amplified laser beam; and

a modulation module coupled to the micro-resonator for modulating a communication signal set to generate a plurality of optical modulated signals according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb, wherein the communication signal set comprises a plurality of communication signals.

2. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the micro-resonator is circular or elliptical.

3. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the modulation module further integrates the plurality of optical modulated signals into a first optical communication signal.

4. The optical communication device of claim 3, wherein the modulation module comprises:

a first arrayed waveguide grating for generating a plurality of light waves according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb, wherein each of the plurality of light waves comprises a wavelength or a wavelength band;

an array ring modulator for modulating the communication signal set to generate the plurality of optical modulated signals according to the plurality of light waves; and

a second arrayed waveguide grating for integrating the plurality of optical modulated signals to the first optical communication signal.

5. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the optical signal generating chip further comprises an arrayed photodetector, the modulation module further divides a second optical communication signal to a plurality of channels according to wavelengths to become a plurality of wavelength-divided second optical communication signals, and the arrayed photodetector converts the plurality of wavelength-divided second optical communication signals into a plurality of detected signals that are electrical signals.

6. The optical communication device of claim 5, further comprising a multiplexer-demultiplexer (MUX-DEMUX) coupled to the optical signal generating chip for selecting the communication signal set from a plurality of communication signal sets transmitted from a plurality of communication systems, wherein each of the plurality of communication signal sets comprises a plurality of communication signals.

7. The optical communication device of claim 6, the MUX-DEMUX further demultiplexes the plurality of detected signals, and the optical communication device further transmits the demultiplexed plurality of detected signals to one of the plurality of communication systems.

8. The optical communication device of claim 5, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) module coupled to the optical signal generating chip and receiving and converting a second RF signal to the communication signal set.

9. The optical communication device of claim 8, the RF module further converts the plurality of detected signals to a first RF signal, and transmits the first RF signal.

10. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the multi-wavelength frequency comb is generated in a resonant cavity by controlling a characteristic of a length of a resonant cavity.

11. A optical communication method, applicable to an optical communication device, the method comprising:

generating a laser beam;

amplifying light intensity of the laser beam in a specific wavelength band;

generating a multi-wavelength frequency comb by an optical signal generating chip according to the amplified laser beam, wherein the optical signal generating chip is inside the optical communication device; and

modulating a communication signal set to generate a plurality of optical modulated signals by the optical signal generating chip according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb, wherein the communication signal set comprises a plurality of communication signals.

12. The optical communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

integrating, by the optical signal generating chip, the plurality of optical modulated signals into a first optical communication signal; and

transmitting the first optical communication signal to an optical fiber.

13. The optical communication method of claim 11, wherein modulating the communication signal set to generate the plurality of optical modulated signals by the optical signal generating chip according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb comprises:

generating a plurality of light waves according to the multi-wavelength frequency comb, wherein each of the plurality of light waves comprises a wavelength or a wavelength band;

modulating the communication signal set to generate the plurality of optical modulated signals according to the plurality of light waves;

generating a first optical communication signal according to the plurality of optical modulated signals; and

transmitting the first optical communication signal to an optical fiber.

14. The optical communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second optical communication signal from an optical fiber;

dividing the second optical communication signal to a plurality of channels according to wavelengths to become a plurality of wavelength-divided second optical communication signals; and

converting the plurality of wavelength-divided second optical communication signals to a plurality of detected signals that are electrical signals.

15. The optical communication method of claim 14, further comprising selecting the communication signal set from a plurality of communication signal sets transmitted from a plurality of communication systems, wherein each of the plurality of communication signal sets comprises a plurality of communication signals.

16. The optical communication method of claim 15, further comprising demultiplexing the plurality of detected signals, and transmitting the demultiplexed plurality of detected signals to one of the plurality of communication systems.

17. The optical communication method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a second RF signal, and converting the second RF signal to the communication signal set.

18. The optical communication method of claim 14, further comprising converting the plurality of detected signals to a first RF signal, and transmitting the first RF signal.

19. The optical communication method of claim 11, wherein the multi-wavelength frequency comb is generated in a resonant cavity by controlling a characteristic of a length of a resonant cavity.