Variable wavelength light source, optical module and manufacturing method of variable wavelength light source

• US 8,249,405 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Charlie
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL SHAMMAA, MARY A
• Application Number:
  US12/811,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/31, 385/32, 385/39, 385/42, 385/47
• US Class Current: 385/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12164 Multiplexing; Demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0147 based on thermo-optic effects G02F1/132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/055 wavelength filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/15 involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/585 Add/drop devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0612 controlled by temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0687 Stabilising the frequency of the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1032 Coupling to elements comprising an optical axis that is not aligned with the optical axis of the active region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/142 which comprises an additional resonator

Abstract

The variable wavelength light source includes a multiple ring resonator including a plurality of resonators, photodetectors which detect light powers outputted from at least two out of the plurality of resonators via throughports, a plurality of variable light units for changing the transmittance of the multiple ring resonator by individually working on at least two out of the plurality of resonators, a light input/output unit which supplies the light to the multiple resonator and emits the light returned from the multiple resonator towards the outside, and a control unit which controls the plurality of variable light units in accordance with the light power detected by the photodetectors, wherein light attenuators are arranged between the throughports and the photodetectors for attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the photodetectors.

Claims

1. A variable wavelength light source, comprising:

a multiple resonator including a plurality of ring resonators having throughports, which have different circumference lengths from each other and are coupled mutually;

a plurality of photodetectors which detect light powers outputted via the respective throughports of the plurality of ring resonators;

a plurality of variable light units for changing transmittance of the multiple resonator by individually working on the plurality of resonators;

a light input/output unit which supplies light to the multiple resonator and emits light returned from the multiple resonator towards outside;

a control unit which controls the plurality of variable light units based on the light powers detected by the photodetectors; and

light attenuators provided between the throughports and the photodetectors for attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the photodetectors.

2. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:

a light power adding module which obtains a sum of the light powers detected by the plurality of photodetector light receiving elements; and

a variable light unit control module which controls the plurality of variable light units in such a manner that a sum of the light powers obtained by the light power adding module becomes minimum.

3. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light attenuator attenuates the light emitted from the throughports before the light makes incident on each of the light-receiving elements, so that the light powers detected by each of the light-receiving elements configuring the photodetectors become substantially equal.

4. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light attenuator includes at least one selected from a coupling waveguide, a crossing waveguide, a gap module, and an axis-shift module.

5. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light attenuator is formed with a coupling waveguide which branches the light emitted from the throughport into a plurality of output systems, and the light of one system out of the plurality of output systems is guided to the photodetectors, and the light of the systems not guided to the photodetectors is released to the outside.

6. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 3, wherein the variable light unit control module comprises:

a plural combination creating module which creates a plurality of combinations by changing at least one control input value regarding a first combination of respective control input values for the plurality of variable light units;

a second combination extracting module which controls the plurality of variable light units according to the plurality of combinations and the first combination, and extracts a combination whose sum of the light powers detected by the plurality of light-receiving elements is the minimum as a second combination; and

a first combination creating module which brings each of the control input values of the first combination close to each of the control input values of the second combination, and outputs it to the plural combination creating module as a new first combination.

7. The variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of variable light units are respective heaters provided to the plurality of ring resonators;

the plural combination creating module has a function which creates a plurality of combinations by changing at least one input power value regarding a first combination of respective input power values for the plurality of heaters;

the second combination extracting module has a function which controls the plurality of heaters according to the plurality of combinations and the first combination, and extracts a combination whose sum of the light powers detected by the plurality of light-receiving elements is the minimum as a second combination; and

the first combination creating module has a function which brings each of the control input values of the first combination close to each of the control input values of the second combination, and outputs it to the plural combination creating module as a new first combination.

8. An optical module, comprising a variable wavelength light source, a case in which the variable wavelength light source is housed, and a light guide unit which guides light emitted from the variable wavelength light source towards outside the case, wherein the variable wavelength light source comprises:

a multiple resonator including a plurality of ring resonators having throughports, which have different circumference lengths from each other and are coupled mutually;

a plurality of photodetectors which detect light powers outputted via the respective throughports of the plurality of ring resonators;

a plurality of variable light units for changing transmittance of the multiple resonator by individually working on the plurality of ring resonators;

a light input/output unit which supplies light to the multiple resonator and emits light returned from the multiple resonator towards outside;

a control unit which controls the plurality of variable light units based on the light powers detected by the photodetectors; and

light attenuators provided between the throughports and the photodetectors for attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the photodetectors.

9. A method for controlling a variable wavelength light source which comprises:

a multiple resonator including a plurality of ring resonators which have different circumference lengths from each other and are coupled mutually;

a plurality of light-receiving elements which detect light powers outputted via respective throughports of the plurality of resonators at the respective throughports;

a plurality of variable light units for changing transmittance of the multiple resonator by individually working on at least two of the plurality of resonators; and

a light input/output unit which supplies light to the multiple resonator and emits light returned from the multiple resonator towards outside, the variable wavelength light source controlling the plurality of variable light units in such a manner that a sum of the light powers detected by the plurality of light-receiving elements becomes minimum,

the method comprising attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the plurality of light-receiving elements.

10. The method for controlling the variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 9, comprising attenuating the light emitted from the throughports so that the light powers detected by each of the light-receiving elements become substantially equal.

11. The method for controlling the variable wavelength light source as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

branching the light emitted from the throughport into a plurality of output systems; and

guiding the light of one system out of the plurality of output systems to the light-receiving elements, and releasing the light of the systems not guided to the light-receiving elements to the outside the variable wavelength light source.

12. A variable wavelength light source, comprising:

a multiple resonator including a plurality of ring resonators having throughports, which have different circumference lengths from each other and are coupled mutually;

a plurality of photodetecting means for detecting light powers outputted via the respective throughports of the plurality of ring resonators;

a plurality of variable light means for changing transmittance of the multiple resonator by individually working on the plurality of resonators;

a light input/output means for supplying light to the multiple resonator and emitting light returned from the multiple resonator towards outside;

control means for controlling the plurality of variable light means based on the light powers detected by the photodetecting means; and

light attenuating means provided between the throughports and the photodetecting means for attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the photodetecting means.

13. An optical module, comprising a variable wavelength light source, a case in which the variable wavelength light source is housed, and light guide means for guiding light emitted from the variable wavelength light source towards outside the case, wherein the variable wavelength light source comprises:

a multiple resonator including a plurality of ring resonators having throughports, which have different circumference lengths from each other and are coupled mutually;

a plurality of photodetecting means for detecting light powers outputted via the respective throughports of the plurality of ring resonators;

a plurality of variable light means for changing transmittance of the multiple resonator by individually working on the plurality of ring resonators;

light input/output means for supplying light to the multiple resonator and emitting light returned from the multiple resonator towards outside;

control means for controlling the plurality of variable light means based on the light powers detected by the photodetecting means; and

light attenuating means provided between the throughports and the photodetecting means for attenuating the light emitted from the throughports before making incident on the photodetecting means.