Integrated-circuit optical network unit
First Claim
1. An optical network unit comprisinga multi-layered integrated-circuit structure including a portion having a longitudinally extending thin-film waveguiding layer having input and output faces,photodetecting and optical-signal-splitting means including a first set of layers of said structure disposed adjacent to an input section of said waveguiding layer for absorbing a portion of any optical signal propagating in said waveguiding layer and generating an electrical signal in response thereto while allowing the remaining portion of any optical signal to continue to propagate in said waveguiding layer,modulator means including a second set of layers of said structure disposed adjacent to an output section of said waveguiding layer for applying a transverse electric field to said waveguiding layer,means extending transversely through the layers of said structure for providing electrical isolation between said photodetecting and optical-signal-splitting means and said modulator means,input means for applying an input optical signal to the input face of said waveguiding layer,and output means for abstracting output optical signals from the output face of said waveguiding layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical network unit designed to be connected to incoming and outgoing fibers at a customer location is made in integrated-circuit form. One portion of the integrated circuit includes a thin-film waveguiding layer and functions as an optical splitter, a photodetector and a modulator. Another portion of the circuit serves as an amplifier..
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. An optical network unit comprising
a multi-layered integrated-circuit structure including a portion having a longitudinally extending thin-film waveguiding layer having input and output faces, photodetecting and optical-signal-splitting means including a first set of layers of said structure disposed adjacent to an input section of said waveguiding layer for absorbing a portion of any optical signal propagating in said waveguiding layer and generating an electrical signal in response thereto while allowing the remaining portion of any optical signal to continue to propagate in said waveguiding layer, modulator means including a second set of layers of said structure disposed adjacent to an output section of said waveguiding layer for applying a transverse electric field to said waveguiding layer, means extending transversely through the layers of said structure for providing electrical isolation between said photodetecting and optical-signal-splitting means and said modulator means, input means for applying an input optical signal to the input face of said waveguiding layer, and output means for abstracting output optical signals from the output face of said waveguiding layer.
Specification