Tunable optical demultiplexer

• US 8,818,194 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinera Corp.
• Original Assignee: Infinera Corp.
• Inventors: Little, Brent E., Chen, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Ken
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDHU, AMRITBIR K
• Application Number:
  US12/495,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 398/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems

Abstract

A tunable optical demultiplexer includes a control circuit and one or more heaters thermally coupled to waveguides of an optical demux. The control circuit is in signal communication with the one or more heaters and includes a processor coupled to a memory. The control circuit is configured to receive an optical channel group (OCG) identification signal and adjust the power delivered to the heaters in response to the OCG identification signal and based on parameter values stored in the memory. The optical demux outputs a plurality of optical signals at a corresponding one of a plurality of outputs. The transmission characteristics of the optical demux are varied depending on the amount of power delivered to the heaters. The varying of the transmission characteristics of the optical demux adjusts the spectral shifting of the plurality of wavelengths output by the optical demux.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer; and

a control circuit coupled to the optical demultiplexer, the control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, the memory being selected from the group consisting of a read only memory and a random access memory, wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a first transmission characteristic, which includes a first plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid,

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a second transmission characteristic, which includes a second plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid; and

a heater,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes an optical de-interleaver and

wherein the heater is thermally coupled to the optical de-interleaver and the control signal includes a first electrical current or a second electrical current, the control signal being supplied to the heater, such that, when the control signal includes the first electrical current, the optical demultiplexer has a first temperature and a first transmission characteristic, and, when the control signal includes the second electrical current, the optical demultiplexer has a second temperature and a second transmission characteristic.

2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the de-interleaver is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

3. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a first Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer including an input, first and second waveguides, and a pair of outputs, the first MZ interferometer receiving a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical input signal having a plurality of channels, each of the channels corresponding to a wavelength, the MZ interferometer configured to output a first subset of the plurality of channels at the first output and a second subset of-the plurality of channels at a second output.

4. The optical device of claim 3, further comprising:

second and third MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the first MZ interferometer, the second and third MZ interferometers configured to receive a respective one of the first and second subsets of channels output by the first MZ interferometer.

5. The optical device of claim 4, wherein at least one waveguide of each of the first, second, and third MZ interferometers is thermally coupled to a heater.

6. The optical device of claim 5, further comprising:

fourth and fifth MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the second MZ interferometer, the fourth and fifth MZ interferometers configured to respectively receive third and fourth subsets of channels from the second MZ device; and

sixth and seventh MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the third MZ interferometer, the sixth and seventh interferometers configured to respectively receive fifth and sixth subsets of channels from the third MZ device.

7. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer including a plurality of outputs;

a control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, the memory being selected from the group consisting of a read only memory and a random access memory, the control circuit in signal communication with the optical demultiplexer; and

a heater,

wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a first plurality of optical signals at a corresponding one of the plurality of outputs, each of the plurality of optical signals has a corresponding one of a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid,

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a second plurality of optical signals at a respective one of the plurality of outputs, each of the second plurality of optical signals corresponding to one of a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid,

the optical demultiplexer includes a first optical de-interleaver,

the heater is thermally coupled to the optical de-interleaver, and

wherein the control signal includes a first electrical current or a second electrical current, the control signal being supplied to the heater, such that, when the control signal includes the first electrical current, the heater has a first temperature and the optical demultiplexer has a first transmission characteristic and when the control signal includes the second electrical current, the heater has a second temperature and the optical demultiplexer has a second transmission characteristic.

8. The optical device of claim 7, wherein the optical de-interleaver is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having first and second waveguides, and wherein the heater is thermally coupled to at least one of the first and second waveguides.

9. The optical device of claim 7, wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a second optical de-interleaver, the demultiplexer further comprising:

a polarization beam splitter configured to receive a wavelength division multiplexed (VVDM) optical input signal at an input and output a first polarized optical signal to the first optical de-interleaver and a second polarized optical signal to the second optical de-interleaver.

10. The optical device of claim 9, further comprising:

first and second polarization beam splitters each coupled to an output of the first and second optical de-interleavers, the first and second polarization beam splitters configured to receive polarized optical signals including first and second channel subsets of the WDM input signal and output channel subsets of mixed polarity.

11. The optical device of claim 10, wherein the first and second optical de-interleavers are Mach-Zehnder interferometers each including a pair of waveguides.

12. The optical device of claim 11, wherein at least one waveguide of each of the first and second MZ interferometers is thermally coupled to a thin-film resistive heater.

13. The optical device of claim 12, wherein the thin-film resistive heater is coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the first and second control signals identify an amount of power delivered to the thin-film resistive heater.

14. The optical device of claim 7, wherein the first and second inputs to the control circuit identify a range of frequencies of an optical signal received at an input of the optical demultiplexer.

15. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer; and

a control circuit coupled to the optical demultiplexer, the control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a first transmission characteristic, which includes a first plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid, and

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a second transmission characteristic, which includes a second plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes an optical de-interleaver, the optical device, further including;

a heater thermally coupled to the optical de-interleaver,

wherein the control signal includes a first electrical current or a second electrical current, the control signal being supplied to the heater, such that, when the control signal includes the first electrical current, the optical demultiplexer has a first temperature and a first transmission characteristic, and, when the control signal includes the second electrical current, the optical demultiplexer has a second, temperature and a second transmission characteristic.

16. The optical device of claim 15, wherein the de-interleaver is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

17. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer; and

a control circuit coupled to the optical demultiplexer, the control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a first transmission characteristic, which includes a first plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid, and

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer has a second transmission characteristic, which includes a second plurality of transmission maxima, each of which corresponding to a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a first Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer including an input, first and second waveguides, and a pair of outputs, the first MZ interferometer receiving a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical input signal having a plurality of channels, each of the channels corresponding to a wavelength, the MZ interferometer configured to output a first subset of the plurality of channels at the first output and a second subset of the plurality of channels at a second output.

18. The optical device of claim 17, further comprising:

second and third MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the first MZ interferometer, the second and third MZ interferometers configured to receive a respective one of the first and second subsets of channels output by the first MZ interferometer.

19. The optical device of claim 18, wherein at least one waveguide of each of the first, second, and third MZ interferometers is thermally coupled to a heater.

20. The optical device of claim 19, further comprising:

fourth and fifth MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the second MZ interferometer, the fourth and fifth MZ interferometers configured to respectively receive third and fourth subsets of channels from the second MZ device; and

sixth and seventh MZ interferometers each coupled to a respective output of the third MZ interferometer, the sixth and seventh interferometers configured to respectively receive fifth and sixth subsets of channels from the third MZ device.

21. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer including a plurality of outputs; and

a control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, the control circuit in signal communication with the optical demultiplexer,

wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a first plurality of optical signals at a corresponding one of the plurality of outputs, each of the plurality of optical signals has a corresponding one of a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid, and

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a second plurality of optical signals at a respective one of the plurality of outputs, each of the second plurality of optical signals corresponding to one of a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a first optical de-interleaver, the optical device further including a heater thermally coupled to the optical de-interleaver,

wherein the control signal includes a first electrical current or a second electrical current, the control signal being supplied to the heater, such that, when the control signal includes the first electrical current, the heater has a first temperature and the optical demultiplexer has a first transmission characteristic, and, when the control signal includes the second electrical current, the heater has a second temperature and the optical demultiplexer has a second transmission characteristic.

22. The optical device of claim 21, wherein the optical de-interleaver is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having first and second waveguides, and wherein the heater is thermally coupled to at least one of the first and second waveguides.

23. An optical device, comprising:

an optical demultiplexer including a plurality of outputs; and

a control circuit including a memory configured to store first and second parameter values, the control circuit in signal communication with the optical demultiplexer,

wherein, in response to a first input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates, a first control signal based on the first parameter value, and, in response to the first control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a first plurality of optical signals at a corresponding one of the plurality of outputs, each of the plurality of optical signals has a corresponding one of a first plurality of wavelengths, each of the first plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by a spectral spacing and conforming to a first wavelength grid, and

in response to a second input to the control circuit, the control circuit generates a second control signal based on the second parameter value, and, in response to the second control signal, the optical demultiplexer outputs a second plurality of optical signals at a respective one of the plurality of outputs, each of the second plurality of optical signals corresponding to one of a second plurality of wavelengths, each of the second plurality of wavelengths being separated from one another by the spectral spacing and conforming to a second wavelength grid, the second wavelength grid being spectrally shifted relative to the first wavelength grid,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a first optical de-interleaver,

wherein the optical demultiplexer includes a second optical de-interleaver, the demultiplexer further comprising;

a polarization beam splitter configured to receive a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical input signal at an input and output a first polarized optical signal to the first optical de-interleaver and a second polarized optical signal to the second optical de-interleaver.

24. The optical device of claim 23, further comprising:

first and second polarization beam splitters each coupled to an output of the first and second optical de-interleavers, the first and second polarization beam splitters configured to receive polarized optical signals including first and second channel subsets of the WDM input signal and output channel subsets of mixed polarity.

25. The optical device of claim 24, wherein the first and second optical de-interleavers are Mach-Zehnder interferometers each including a pair of waveguides.

26. The optical device of claim 25, wherein at least one waveguide of each of the first and second MZ interferometers is thermally coupled to a thin-film resistive heater.

27. The optical device of claim 26, wherein the thin-film resistive heater is coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the first and second control signals identify an amount of power delivered to the thin-film resistive heater.