Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits.

Abstract: An integrated circuit that includes a wavelength meter is described. This integrated circuit may include: a set of interferometers having integer multiples of a phase or a delay, where the set of interferometers provide outputs corresponding to a range from an MSB to an LSB of a wavelength in an optical signal. For example, the set of interferometers may include MZIs or ring resonators. Moreover, the integrated circuit may include a converter that provides digital electrical signals that specify the range from the MSB to the LSB. Note that the set of interferometers may have different FSRs, where an interferometer that provides an output corresponding to the MSB has a largest FSR and a smallest phase or delay, and a second interferometer that provides a second output corresponding to the LSB has a smallest FSR and a largest phase or delay.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits. The mapping enables adjustments to correct for non-linearities and other undesirable characteristics, thereby improving signal quality.

Abstract: An optical source is described. This optical source may include a semiconductor laser chip and a silicon-photonics chip that provide an optical cavity. The semiconductor laser chip may provide gain at multiple lasing wavelengths in a band of wavelengths. Moreover, the silicon-photonics chip may adjust a size of an optical signal proximate to an interface between the semiconductor laser chip and the silicon-photonics chip. Furthermore, by adjusting a phase of a phase shifter and resonance frequencies of a micro-ring resonator in the silicon-photonics chip, a center frequency of a passband of the micro-ring resonator may be matched to a non-zero integer multiple of a cavity-mode spacing. This may allow the optical source to mode-lock the lasing wavelengths of the optical source by suppressing unwanted lasing wavelengths and re-enforcing the lasing wavelengths. In some embodiments, a free-spectral range of the optical source may be between 100 GHz and 800 GHz.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits. The mapping enables adjustments to correct for non-linearities and other undesirable characteristics, thereby improving signal quality.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits.

Abstract: An integrated circuit that includes a wavelength meter is described. This integrated circuit may include: a set of interferometers having integer multiples of a phase or a delay, where the set of interferometers provide outputs corresponding to a range from an MSB to an LSB of a wavelength in an optical signal. For example, the set of interferometers may include MZIs or ring resonators. Moreover, the integrated circuit may include a converter that provides digital electrical signals that specify the range from the MSB to the LSB. Note that the set of interferometers may have different FSRs, where an interferometer that provides an output corresponding to the MSB has a largest FSR and a smallest phase or delay, and a second interferometer that provides a second output corresponding to the LSB has a smallest FSR and a largest phase or delay.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits. The mapping enables adjustments to correct for non-linearities and other undesirable characteristics, thereby improving signal quality.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits. The mapping enables adjustments to correct for non-linearities and other undesirable characteristics, thereby improving signal quality.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device, including a modulator having one or more actuating electrodes, provides an analog-modulated optical signal that is modulated in response to output data bits of a digital-to-digital mapping. A digital-to-digital conversion provides the mapping of input data words to the output data bits. The mapping enables adjustments to correct for non-linearities and other undesirable characteristics, thereby improving signal quality.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes provides and optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. A digital-to-digital converter provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors for M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter maps each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

Abstract: A modulator comprises one or more resonators. Each resonator has a light confining closed loop structure, such as a ring structure, and two, three or more electrodes associated with the light-confining structure, and may be a micro-resonator. An optical signal is modulated by a digital signal using the resonator. The procedure comprises obtaining the digital signal, mapping the signal using a mapping function to produce a transformed digital signal, the transformed digital signal being selected to produce, say linear, output from the resonator, inputting the transformed digital signal via electrodes onto the resonator; and modulating the optical signal via coupling from the resonator. Suitable mapping produces 16 QAM and other modulation schemes.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes provides and optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. A digital-to-digital converter provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors for M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter maps each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

Abstract: In a system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes provides an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. A digital-to-digital converter provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter maps each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

Abstract: A modulator comprises one or more resonators. Each resonator has a light confining closed loop structure, such as a ring structure, and two, three or more electrodes associated with the light-confining structure, and may be a micro-resonator. An optical signal is modulated by a digital signal using the resonator. The procedure comprises obtaining the digital signal, mapping the signal using a mapping function to produce a transformed digital signal, the transformed digital signal being selected to produce, say linear, output from the resonator, inputting the transformed digital signal via electrodes onto the resonator; and modulating the optical signal via coupling from the resonator. Suitable mapping produces 16 QAM and other modulation schemes.

Abstract: A modulator comprises one or more resonators. Each resonator has a light confining closed loop structure, such as a ring structure, and two, three or more electrodes associated with the light-confining structure, and may be a micro-resonator. An optical signal is modulated by a digital signal using the resonator. The procedure comprises obtaining the digital signal, mapping the signal using a mapping function to produce a transformed digital signal, the transformed digital signal being selected to produce, say linear, output from the resonator, inputting the transformed digital signal via electrodes onto the resonator; and modulating the optical signal via coupling from the resonator. Suitable mapping produces 16 QAM and other modulation schemes.

Abstract: A system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, comprises an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes. The device provides an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. The system also comprises a digital-to-digital converter that provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter is enabled to map each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

Abstract: In a modulation system that modulates and transmits an optical signal over at least one optical fiber in response to an input digital data word of N bits, there is an input enabled for receiving the digital data word; an electrically controllable modulator having one or more waveguide branches, where each branch receives an input of an unmodulated optical signal; and a digital to digital converter enabled for converting the N bits to a digital drive vector corresponding to M drive voltage values, where M>N and N>1. The electrically controllable modulator couples the drive voltage values to the unmodulated optical signal(s). The coupling enables pulse modulation of the unmodulated optical signal(s) thereby generating pulse modulated optical signal(s). The electrically controllable modulator outputs the pulse modulated optical signal(s) to one or more outputs that are enabled for transmitting the pulse modulated optical signal(s) over at least one optical fiber.

Abstract: A system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, comprises an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes. The device provides an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. The system also comprises a digital-to-digital converter that provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter is enabled to map each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

Abstract: A system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, comprises an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes. The device provides an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. The system also comprises a digital-to-digital converter that provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter is enabled to map each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.