Abstract: An optical assembly for a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) transmitter or receiver that lends itself to cost-effective production-line manufacturing. In one embodiment, the fiber optic assembly has a vernier-type arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with five optical ports at one side and fourteen optical ports at another side. Ten of the fourteen ports are optically coupled to ten photo-detectors or lasers. A selected one of the five ports is optically coupled to an external optical fiber. The coupling optics and the mounting hardware for the AWG are designed to accommodate, with few relatively straightforward adjustments performed on the production line, any configuration of the AWG in which any consecutive ten of the fourteen ports are optically coupled to the ten photo-detectors or lasers.

Abstract: A system, e.g. a reconfigurable optical channel router, includes an input waveguide optically connected to a wavelength demultiplexer. A first input microcavity resonator set including a plurality of microcavity resonators is located adjacent the input waveguide. The microcavity resonators are configured to controllably couple to a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency channels of an optical signal propagating within said input waveguide.

Abstract: A system, e.g. a reconfigurable electro-optical network, includes input and output waveguides. The input waveguide is configured to receive a first input optical signal including a first modulated input wavelength channel. The output waveguide is configured to receive a carrier signal including an unmodulated output wavelength channel. An input microcavity resonator is configured to derive a modulated electrical control signal from the modulated input wavelength channel. A first output microcavity resonator is configured to modulate the output wavelength channel in response to the control signal.

Abstract: A wavelength-selective cross-connect (WSXC) device having N input ports and M output ports and configured to route any set of one or more carrier wavelengths from a corresponding input port to any selected output port. In one embodiment, the WSXC device includes a diffraction grating and a beam-steering device optically coupled to each other and to the input/output ports so that each of the carrier wavelengths traverses the diffraction grating and the beam-steering device two or more times en route from the respective input port to a designated output port. Various unfolded configurations of the WSXC device are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical photonic device comprising a planar semiconductor substrate having a light-guiding layer thereon, a primary laser light source in said light-guiding layer and a vertical coupler optically coupled to the primary laser light source by waveguide portions of the light-guiding layer. The vertical coupler is configured to receive a light beam from the primary laser light source and redirect the light beam in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the planar substrate.

Abstract: A passive arrayed-waveguide-grating (AWG) router that can be used to implement the dual functionality of a wavelength router and a 3-dB power splitter for one of its wavelength channels while functioning as a conventional wavelength router for the other wavelength channels. The passive AWG router can advantageously be used, e.g., in a WDM-PON system to reduce the insertion-loss disparity between the various wavelength channels that are being used to broadcast optical signals from an optical line terminal located at the service provider's central office, through the passive AWG router, to a plurality of optical network units located near the end users.

Abstract: An optical multi-wavelength transmitter comprising an optical interleaver with at least a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide; a first plurality of microcavity modulators coupled to the first optical waveguide and a second plurality of microcavity modulators coupled to the second waveguide. A plurality of optical wavelengths received at an input of the interleaver are separated into a first group of separated optical wavelengths for being input in the first optical waveguide and a second group of separated optical wavelengths for being input in the second optical waveguide. Each one of the first and the second group of separated optical wavelengths have a separated wavelength spacing between adjacent separated optical wavelengths. A method of optical multi-wavelength transmission is also disclosed.

Abstract: A WDM device having a controller that individually controls the operating parameters of tunable lasers and the temperatures of an optical multiplexer and etalon. The device employs a spectral analyzer to measure the spectral composition of the optical output signal produced by the device. Based on the analyses of the measured spectral composition, the controller sets the temperatures of the tunable lasers, optical multiplexer, and optical etalon to values that cause: (i) middle frequencies of transmission bands of the optical multiplexer to be spectrally aligned with the corresponding frequencies of the specified frequency grid, (ii) each laser line to be properly positioned within the corresponding transmission band, and (iii) transmission resonances of the optical etalon to be properly positioned with respect to the laser lines.

Abstract: An optical-power-distribution (OPD) subsystem that provides means for supplying optical local-oscillator signals and optical-carrier signals to various optical line cards, without the need for each optical line card to have a corresponding individual laser source. In one embodiment, a single laser coupled to the OPD subsystem provides optical local-oscillator signals and/or optical-carrier signals to multiple optical line cards. In another embodiment, multiple lasers coupled to the OPD subsystem provide multiple optical local-oscillator signals and/or optical-carrier signals to a single line card. An OPD subsystem may provide significant power savings in the operation of the corresponding optical transport system, a reduction in the required equipment-cooling capacity, and/or an increase in the device-packing density within optical line cards and/or inside equipment cabinets that house optical line cards.

Abstract: An optical assembly for a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) transmitter or receiver that lends itself to cost-effective production-line manufacturing. In one embodiment, the fiber optic assembly has a vernier-type arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with five optical ports at one side and fourteen optical ports at another side. Ten of the fourteen ports are optically coupled to ten photo-detectors or lasers. A selected one of the five ports is optically coupled to an external optical fiber. The coupling optics and the mounting hardware for the AWG are designed to accommodate, with few relatively straightforward adjustments performed on the production line, any configuration of the AWG in which any consecutive ten of the fourteen ports are optically coupled to the ten photo-detectors or lasers.

Abstract: An optical photonic device comprising a planar semiconductor substrate having a light-guiding layer thereon, a primary laser light source in said light-guiding layer and a vertical coupler optically coupled to the primary laser light source by waveguide portions of the light-guiding layer. The vertical coupler is configured to receive a light beam from the primary laser light source and redirect the light beam in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the planar substrate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a three-stage scalable hybrid switch fabric has an input stage with one or more electronic input crossbar switches, a middle stage, and an output stage with one or more electronic output crossbar switches. The middle stage has (1) tunable optical transmitters that convert electrical signals received from the input stage into optical signals having selectable wavelengths, (2) one or more passive, wavelength-dependent optical routers that route the optical signals received from the transmitters at input nodes to output nodes, each output node determined by the wavelength of the optical signal and possibly by the input node at which the optical signal is applied, and (3) optical receivers that convert the routed optical signals into electrical signals provided to the output stage. Each scaling increment includes (i) an input crossbar switch and its corresponding optical transmitters and (ii) an output crossbar switch and its corresponding optical receivers.

Abstract: An optical transmitter that uses half-rate electrical signals, without multiplexing them to the full rate, to generate a full-rate optical duobinary signal. In one embodiment, an optical transmitter of the invention has a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) driven by two half-rate electrical data streams. A first half-rate data stream is applied to drive a first arm of the MZM. A delay element misaligns a second half-rate data stream that is synchronized with the first data stream by one half of a bit period, and the resulting misaligned data stream is applied to drive a second arm of the MZM. The MZM is configured to (i) transmit substantially no light from the feeding laser when the applied data streams have the same binary value and (ii) have a maximum transmission when the applied data streams have different binary values, thereby generating a full-rate optical duobinary signal at its output.

Abstract: A dispersion compensator having relatively uniform transmission characteristics over the bandwidth of a communication channel. The compensator is designed to process an optical signal corresponding to the communication channel by decomposing that signal into spectral components, routing different components along different optical paths that impart relative delays between the components, and recombining the delayed components spatially and directionally to generate a processed optical signal with reduced chromatic dispersion. In one embodiment, the compensator is a waveguide circuit that includes four diffraction gratings operating in transmission and optically coupled to a tunable lens array, in which different tunable lenses receive light corresponding to different communication channels. For each channel, a desired group delay value is produced by selecting magnification strength of the corresponding tunable lens.

Abstract: A dispersion compensator having relatively uniform transmission characteristics over the bandwidth of a communication channel. The compensator is designed to process an optical signal corresponding to the communication channel by decomposing that signal into spectral components, routing different components along different optical paths that impart relative delays between the components, and recombining the delayed components spatially and directionally to generate a processed optical signal with reduced chromatic dispersion. In one embodiment, the compensator includes a diffraction grating optically coupled to a mirror array, in which different mirrors receive light corresponding to different communication channels. For each channel, a desired group delay value is produced by selecting the curvature of the corresponding mirror. A compensator employing independently addressable, variable-curvature mirrors enables generation of variable, channel-specific group delays.

Abstract: The optical demuxplixer/multiplexer architecture includes an anamorphic optical system that decouples first characteristics of a beam passing through the anamorphic optical system from at least second characteristics of the beam.

Abstract: A dispersion compensator having relatively uniform transmission characteristics over the bandwidth of a communication channel. The compensator is designed to process an optical signal corresponding to the communication channel by decomposing that signal into spectral components, routing different components along different optical paths that impart relative delays between the components, and recombining the delayed components spatially and directionally to generate a processed optical signal with reduced chromatic dispersion. In one embodiment, the compensator includes a diffraction grating optically coupled to a mirror array, in which different mirrors receive light corresponding to different communication channels. For each channel, a desired group delay value is produced by selecting the curvature of the corresponding mirror. A compensator employing independently addressable, variable-curvature mirrors enables generation of variable, channel-specific group delays.

Abstract: The optical demuxplixer/multiplexer architecture includes an anamorphic optical system that decouples first characteristics of a beam passing through the anamorphic optical system from at least second characteristics of the beam.

Abstract: Optical components that are designed to be coupled together in modular fashion to form an optical network. The components are shaped so that a plurality of components can be coupled together to form a light cube. The components are provided with mating means to permit easy coupling. The preferred form of component is a right-angled triangular prism that can be coupled together with a similar prism to form a cube.

Abstract: A modular building block for supporting arrays of microlenses, microlasers and microphotodetectors, etc. in an optical beam relay system used as an optical interconnection network. The building block includes a frame member on which is mounted the array. The frame member includes a base portion that is press fitted to the smooth top surface of a plate member. The bottom surface of the plate member includes a rail portion that is secured into a groove in the support structure, such as a table, that also supports various elements of the optical interconnection network.