Patents Assigned to Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9531155
    Abstract: A tunable laser with multiple in-line sections generally includes a semiconductor laser body with a plurality of in-line laser sections each configured to be driven independently to generate laser light at a wavelength within a different respective wavelength range. The wavelength of the light generated in each of the laser sections may be tuned, in response to a temperature change, to a channel wavelength within the respective wavelength range. A switch module may be configured to couple a signal from a laser driver to a selected one of the plurality of in-line laser sections, wherein the signal modulates the laser light generated by the in-line laser section. The selected in-line section may be DC biased to a lasing state and the non-selected in-line sections may be DC biased to a non-lasing or transparent state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Wang, Jun Zheng, Yanyan Zhang
  • Patent number: 9523826
    Abstract: A pluggable optical transceiver module for inserted into plugging slot includes main body and sliding component. The main body has opposite two side surfaces and two sliding slots. The two sliding slots are located at the two side surfaces. The sliding component includes linkage arm and two extending arms. The two extending arms are connected to the linkage arm. Each extending arm has a second fastening part. The main body is between the two extending arms. The two extending arms are disposed on the two sliding slots to have fastening position and releasing position. Two first fastening parts are fastened to the two second fastening parts when the two extending arms are located at fastening position. The two second fastening parts press the two first fastening parts, respectively, for the two first fastening parts being farther from each other when the two extending arms are located at releasing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chao-Hung Tsai, Chien-Te Lin, Che-Shou Yeh
  • Patent number: 9509433
    Abstract: A multi-channel receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), with outputs directly optically coupled to respective photodetectors such as photodiodes. In one embodiment, an AWG may be configured such that optical components of the AWG do not interfere with direct optical coupling, and the wire bonding points on the photodiodes may also be configured such that wire bonding does not interfere with direct optical coupling. The photodetectors may also be mounted on a photodetector mounting bar with a pitch sufficiently spaced to allow connection to floating grounds. A passive alignment technique may be used to determine the mounting locations on the photodetector mounting bar such that the photodetectors are aligned with the optical outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Luohan Peng, Joyce Li
  • Patent number: 9502858
    Abstract: A laser array mux assembly generally includes an array of laser emitters coupled to an optical multiplexer, such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), with an external partial reflector after the multiplexer. Each of the laser emitters may include a gain region that emits light across a range of wavelengths including, for example, channel wavelengths in an optical communication system. The AWG filters the emitted light from each of the laser emitters at different channel wavelengths associated with each of the laser emitters. The reflector reflects at least a portion of the filtered light such that lasing occurs at the channel wavelengths of the reflected light. The laser array mux assembly may be used to generate an optical signal at a selected channel wavelength or to generate and combine optical signals at multiple channel wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Stefan J. Murry
  • Patent number: 9479259
    Abstract: A multi-channel optical transceiver includes a transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) with a thermal arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) for multiplexing optical signals and a receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) with an athermal AWG for demultiplexing optical signals. The TOSA may also include a laser array optically coupled to the thermal AWG and a temperature control system thermally coupled to the laser array and the thermal AWG to control temperature for wavelength tuning. The temperature control system in the TOSA may include a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) that cools both the laser array and the thermal AWG. Because the athermal AWG in the ROSA is temperature independent, the ROSA does not include a TEC, thereby reducing power consumption and conserving space. The optical transceiver may be used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Stefan J. Murry, Jun Zheng
  • Patent number: 9479280
    Abstract: An extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly provides relatively narrow mode spacing while allowing relatively high speed optical modulation. The extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly generally includes an exit reflector physically separated from a laser emitter (e.g., a gain chip) to extend the lasing cavity and narrow the mode spacing while maintaining a relatively small gain region in the laser emitter capable of higher speed optical modulation. The extended cavity Fabry-Perot laser assembly may be used in a multi-channel transmitter in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system that selects a channel wavelength for the transmitter from among multiple channel wavelengths emitted by the laser assembly. The narrow mode spacing may be less than a WDM channel width, and more specifically, may be less than a channel passband of an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) or other filter used to select the channel wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Stefan J. Murry
  • Patent number: 9455782
    Abstract: Individual channels of a multiplexed laser array in a multi-channel optical transmitter are monitored at an output of an optical multiplexer. The monitoring may be used to confirm proper operation of each of the channels in the multiplexed laser array and/or to perform wavelength locking on each of the channels. Monitoring at the output of the optical multiplexer avoids the use of multiple photodetectors coupled directly to multiple lasers in the multiplexed laser array. The multiplexed laser array generally includes a plurality of laser emitters optically coupled to an optical multiplexer such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). An optical transmitter with a monitored multiplexed laser array may be used, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) passive optical network (PON) or in any other type of WDM optical communication system capable of transmitting optical signals on multiple channel wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Yi Wang, I-Lung Ho, Klaus Alexander Anselm, Huanlin Zhang
  • Patent number: 9448372
    Abstract: An optical coupling element, for coupling a light emitting element to a light transmission element, includes a light guide element. The light guide element has a light incident part, a total reflection surface and a light output part. The light incident path is formed at the light incident part corresponding to the light emitting element. The light reflection path is formed at the light output part corresponding to the light transmission element. The first included angle ?1 is formed between the light incident path and the total reflection surface and is not equal to 45 degrees. The light emitting element is adapted to emit a beam toward the total reflection surface along the light incident path by passing through the light guide element from the light incident part. Moreover, the beam is reflected by the total reflection surface and is outputted toward the light transmission element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chao-Hung Tsai, Jian-Hong Luo, Li-Chieh Su, Chang-Sheng Lin
  • Patent number: 9448367
    Abstract: A multi-channel optical transceiver includes a multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA), a multi-channel receiver optical subassembly (ROSA), and a dual fiber type direct link adapter directly linked to the multi-channel TOSA and the multi-channel ROSA with optical fibers. The dual fiber type direct link adapter is also configured to receive pluggable optical connectors, such as LC connectors, mounted at the end of fiber-optic cables including optical fibers for carrying optical signals to and from the transceiver. The dual fiber type direct link adapter thus provides the optical input and output to the transceiver for the optical signals received by the ROSA and transmitted by the TOSA. The multi-channel optical transceiver may be used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Stefan J. Murry, Che-Shou (Richard) Yeh
  • Patent number: 9432122
    Abstract: A bidirectional optical subassembly (BOSA) optical networking unit (ONU) generally includes a BOSA housing. A tunable laser is located in the BOSA housing and is configured to generate a first optical signal for transmission at a first selected wavelength based on temperature control. The tunable laser is a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode. A thermal management device is also located in the BOSA housing and is configured to provide the temperature control. A photo diode is further located in the BOSA housing and is configured to receive a second optical signal at a second selected wavelength. The BOSA housing comprises an alloy of stainless steel or an alloy of Kovar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Jun Zheng, Hung-Lun Chang
  • Patent number: 9356422
    Abstract: An improved scribe etch process for semiconductor laser chip manufacturing is provided. A method to etch a scribe line on a semiconductor wafer generally includes: applying a mask layer to a surface of the wafer; photolithographically opening a window in the mask layer along the scribe line; etching a trench in the wafer using a chemical etchant that operates on the wafer through the window opening, wherein the chemical etchant selectively etches through crystal planes of the wafer to generate a V-groove profile associated with the trench; and cleaving the wafer along the etched trench associated with the scribe line through application of a force to one or more regions of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Klaus Alexander Anselm, Rajesh Bikky, Stephen Hu, Greg Pickrell, Nahid Sultana, Jae Yoon Um, Chia Chen David Wong
  • Patent number: 9343870
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser diode with integrated heating generally includes a lasing region and a heating region integrated into the same semiconductor structure or chip. The lasing region and the heating region include first and second portions, respectively, of the semiconductor layers forming the semiconductor structure and include first and second portions, respectively, of the active regions formed by the semiconductor layers. Separate laser and heater electrodes are electrically connected to the respective lasing and heating regions for driving the respective lasing and heating regions with drive currents. The heating region may thus be driven independently from the lasing region, and heat may be conducted through the semiconductor layers from the heating region to the lasing region allowing the temperature to be controlled more efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Klaus Alexander Anselm, Huanlin Zhang, Hung-Lun Chang
  • Patent number: 9341774
    Abstract: A laser array optical coupling assembly may be used to couple a laser array to an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), for example, in an optical transmitter in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication system. The laser array optical coupling assembly may include an optical fiber tip array with polished optical fiber tips providing a reduced mode field diameter to improve coupling efficiency with the laser array. The laser array optical coupling assembly may also include a direct coupling of the laser array to the AWG with modified AWG inputs reducing the mode field diameter to improve coupling efficiency with the laser array. The laser array optical coupling assembly may be used, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON) or in other transmitters or transceivers in a WDM system capable of transmitting and receiving optical signals on multiple channel wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, I-Lung Ho, Hung-Lun Chang
  • Patent number: 9306671
    Abstract: A thermally isolated multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) may be used in a multi-channel optical transceiver. The multi-channel TOSA generally includes an array of lasers optically coupled to an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) to combine multiple optical signals at different channel wavelengths. The lasers, and possibly other components, are wire bonded to a thermal isolation bar. The thermal isolation bar provides an electrical connection to external circuitry and is thermally coupled to a temperature control device, such as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). Thus, the thermal isolation bar electrically connects the lasers to the circuitry while preventing external heat from being conducted to the lasers from outside the TOSA. The optical transceiver may be used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Jun Zheng, Chong Wang
  • Patent number: 9236945
    Abstract: A thermally shielded multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) may be used in a multi-channel optical transceiver. The multi-channel TOSA generally includes an array of lasers optically coupled to an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) to combine multiple optical signals at different channel wavelengths. A plurality of laser array thermal shields are thermally coupled to a temperature control device, such as a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), and thermally shield the respective lasers in the laser array in separate thermally shielded compartments. Each of the lasers may also be individually thermally controlled to provide a desired wavelength, for example, using a heater and/or cooler located in each thermally shielded compartment. The optical transceiver may be used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Jun Zheng, Luohan Peng
  • Patent number: 9236949
    Abstract: An optical transceiver generally includes an injection locked (IL) laser configured to generate a transmit (Tx) optical signal for transmission over an optical network and a laser driver circuit configured to modulate the IL laser based on a Tx data signal. The Tx data signal may be provided to the optical transceiver for transmission over the optical network. The Tx data signal may include a crossing point level associated with a transition between a first signal level and a second signal level. The optical transceiver may also include a crossing point control circuit configured to apply distortion to the Tx data signal, the distortion to increase the crossing point level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Wang, Huanlin Zhang
  • Patent number: 9225428
    Abstract: A system is provided for aligning a photodetector array to optical outputs of an optical demultiplexer in a multi-channel receiver optical subassembly (ROSA). In one embodiment, the system may include a clamp alignment fixture configured to secure a position of a photodetector mounting bar within a ROSA housing, wherein the photodetector array is disposed on the photodetector mounting bar and the photodetector array includes a plurality of photodiodes. The system may further include a motion staging device configured to adjust an orientation of the photodetector mounting bar by varying an angle of the clamp alignment fixture. The adjustment may be based on observation of the location of an optical alignment signal relative to the plurality of photodiodes, the optical alignment signal projected onto the photodetector mounting bar by the optical demultiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Luohan Peng, Zhengyu Miao, Hao-Hsiang Liao
  • Patent number: 9214790
    Abstract: A filtered laser array assembly generally includes an array of laser emitters coupled between external modulators and an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). Each of the laser emitters emits light across a plurality of wavelengths including, for example, channel wavelengths in an optical communication system. The AWG filters the emitted light from each of the laser emitters at different channel wavelengths associated with each of the laser emitters. Lasing cavities are formed between each of the laser emitters and a back reflector coupled to an output of the AWG such that laser output from the laser emitters is provided at the respective channel wavelengths of the reflected, filtered light. The external modulators enable high speed modulation of the laser output. The modulated laser output may then be optically multiplexed to produce an aggregate optical signal including multiple channel wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Stefan Murry, Wen-Yen Hwang
  • Patent number: 9191111
    Abstract: A modulated optical system with cross-modulation compensation reduces or corrects cross-modulation that might occur in a multichannel RF signal modulating a laser. The system detects the cross-modulation, for example, by detecting an envelope of the RF signal or by detecting RF power fluctuations, generates a cross-modulation detection signal, and imparts a compensating cross-modulation by adjusting a bias current of the laser in response to the cross-modulation detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zheng, Brian Ishaug
  • Patent number: 9170383
    Abstract: A multi-channel optical transceiver includes a multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA), a multi-channel receiver optical subassembly (ROSA), and a dual fiber type direct link adapter directly linked to the multi-channel TOSA and the multi-channel ROSA with optical fibers. The dual fiber type direct link adapter is also configured to receive pluggable optical connectors, such as LC connectors, mounted at the end of fiber-optic cables including optical fibers for carrying optical signals to and from the transceiver. The dual fiber type direct link adapter thus provides the optical input and output to the transceiver for the optical signals received by the ROSA and transmitted by the TOSA. The multi-channel optical transceiver may be used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical system, for example, in an optical line terminal (OLT) in a WDM passive optical network (PON).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Lung Ho, Stefan J. Murry, Richard Yeh