Wavelength reconfigurable laser transmitter tuned via the resonance passbands of a tunable microresonator
First Claim
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1. A reconfigurable laser transmitter comprising:
- an integration platform having a silicon substrate;
a gain element, having an optical output, the gain element having a body of material different than said integration platform, being disposed on said integration platform;
a first optical path receiving optical output from said gain element, said first optical path comprising a silica waveguide within said integration platform;
a tunable microresonator optically coupled with said first optical path, said tunable microresonator having a body of material different than said silica waveguide and being disposed on said integration platform;
a second optical path coupled with said tunable microresonator, said second optical path comprising a silica waveguide within said integration platform; and
a fixed grating in said integration platform and coupled with said second optical path.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a laser transmitter capable of being configured to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths. Specifically, the laser transmitter may be reconfigured using the resonance passbands of a tunable microresonator coupled with a fixed grating.
76 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A reconfigurable laser transmitter comprising:
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an integration platform having a silicon substrate; a gain element, having an optical output, the gain element having a body of material different than said integration platform, being disposed on said integration platform; a first optical path receiving optical output from said gain element, said first optical path comprising a silica waveguide within said integration platform; a tunable microresonator optically coupled with said first optical path, said tunable microresonator having a body of material different than said silica waveguide and being disposed on said integration platform; a second optical path coupled with said tunable microresonator, said second optical path comprising a silica waveguide within said integration platform; and a fixed grating in said integration platform and coupled with said second optical path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for reconfiguring a wavelength of a laser comprising the steps of:
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providing an integration platform formed of silicon; coupling a tunable microresonator having a passband to a fixed grating having a plurality of reflection peaks via a silica waveguide in said integration platform, said silica waveguide including a UV-induced sampled grating; heterogeneously mounting the tunable microresonator on said integration platform, said tunable microresonator being formed of a material different than the silica waveguide; and tuning said tunable microresonator such that the passband of said tunable microresonator is aligned with one of said plurality of reflection peaks of said fixed grating. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a gain element into a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element; forming at least another silica waveguide in a silicon integration platform, and forming the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator from III-V semiconductor material on or in said silicon integration platform so that the Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator is optically coupled with said at least two silica waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a gain element into a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element; wherein the gain element is a GaInAsP/InP semiconductor optical amplifier; and wherein the Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator has a body comprising GaInAsP/InP semiconductor materials.
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22. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a group III-V gain element into a tunable group III-V Fabry-Perot etalon; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; and electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element, wherein the gain element has a body comprising GaInAsP/InP semiconductor materials and wherein the Fabry-Perot etalon also has a body comprising GaInAsP/InP semiconductor materials. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a gain element into a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; and electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element, wherein said sampled grating has a sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks and wherein a passband of the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon selects one of the peaks in said sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a group III-V gain element into a tunable group III-V Fabry-Perot etalon; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; and electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element, wherein said sampled grating has a sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks and wherein a passband of the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon selects one of the peaks in said sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks.
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27. A method of configuring a transmitter to transmit one of a plurality of wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a spectrum of light from a gain element into a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator; selecting a first portion of said spectrum of light to be transmitted by said transmitter; and electrically tuning said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator, wherein a second portion of said spectrum of light is transmitted to a sampled grating fabricated in a silica waveguide for reflection back to said gain element; wherein said tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator is of a different material than the silica waveguide; wherein said sampled grating has a sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks; and wherein a passband of the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon or microdisk microresonator selects one of the peaks in said sequence of Bragg reflectivity peaks. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification