IP Library › Granted Patent US 12700926

Granted Patent B2

US 12700926 · App. 18/174,860 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Optical communication system with a simplified remote optical power supply

Inventors: Manan Raval (Oakland, CA); Matthew Sysak (Sunnyvale, CA); Chen Li (Santa Clara, CA)

Assignee: Ayar Labs, Inc.

H04B10/504 G02B6/12004 G02B6/1225 G02B6/124 H04B10/2519 H04B10/294 H04B10/501 H04B10/67 H04J14/0202 H04J14/0227

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12700926
App. No.: 18/174,860
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An electro-optical chip includes a plurality of transmit macros, each of which includes an optical waveguide and a plurality of ring resonators positioned along the optical waveguide. An optical distribution network is implemented onboard the electro-optical chip and includes a plurality of optical inputs and a plurality of optical outputs. The optical distribution network conveys a portion of light received at a subset of the plurality of optical inputs to one or more of the plurality of optical outputs, such that light conveyed to said one or more of the plurality of optical outputs includes wavelengths of light conveyed to said subset of the plurality of optical inputs. The subset of the plurality of optical inputs includes at least two of the plurality of optical inputs. Each of the plurality of optical outputs is optically connected to the optical waveguide in a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit macros.

Claims (54)

1 . An electro-optical chip, comprising:

a plurality of transmit macros, each of the plurality of transmit macros including an optical waveguide and a plurality of ring resonators positioned along the optical waveguide within an evanescent optical coupling distance of the optical waveguide; and

an optical distribution network implemented onboard the electro-optical chip, the optical distribution network having a plurality of optical inputs and a plurality of optical outputs,

wherein each of the plurality of optical inputs is connected to receive a single and different wavelength of light,

wherein the plurality of optical inputs is delineated into a plurality of subsets of optical inputs, wherein each of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs includes at least two of the plurality of optical inputs, wherein each of the plurality of optical inputs is in any given one of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs and just in the given one of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs,

wherein the plurality of optical outputs is delineated into a plurality of subsets of optical outputs, wherein each of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs includes at least two of the plurality of optical outputs, wherein each of the plurality of optical outputs is in any given one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs and just in the given one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs,

wherein the optical distribution network is configured to convey a portion of light received at a given one of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs to a given one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs and just to the given one of the plurality of subsets of the optical outputs, such that light conveyed to each optical output of the given one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs includes all wavelengths of light conveyed to each of the optical inputs of the given one of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs, wherein the optical distribution network is configured so that light conveyed into the optical inputs of any one of the plurality of subsets of optical inputs is conveyed to each of the optical outputs of a corresponding one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs,

wherein each of the plurality of optical outputs is optically connected to the optical waveguide in a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit macros.

2 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network is optically connected to a corresponding optical fiber.

3 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 2 , wherein continuous wave light having a single wavelength is conveyed through the corresponding optical fiber.

4 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of optical supply ports; and

a plurality of optical waveguides formed within the electro-optical chip to respectively optically connect the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network to the plurality of optical supply ports.

5 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical supply ports are formed as respective edge-coupling devices.

6 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical supply ports are formed as respective vertical optical grating devices.

7 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical chip is configured to tune each of the plurality of ring resonators to a respective resonant wavelength that substantially matches one of a plurality of wavelengths of continuous wave light respectively received through the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network.

8 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of heating devices respectively disposed next to the plurality of ring resonators, the plurality of heating devices configured to respectively control resonant wavelengths of the plurality of ring resonators.

9 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , wherein each optical waveguide within each of the plurality of transmit macros includes a first substantially linear-shaped segment, a second substantially linear-shaped segment, and a U-shaped segment that extends between the first substantially linear-shaped segment and the second substantially linear-shaped segment, such that an optical input of the first substantially linear-shaped segment and an optical input of the second substantially linear-shaped segment are located on a same side of said transmit macro that includes said optical waveguide.

10 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of ring resonators with a given one of the plurality of transmit macros are positioned in a spaced apart manner along either the first substantially linear-shaped segment or the second substantially linear-shaped segment of the optical waveguide within the given one of the plurality of transmit macros.

11 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical distribution network is a passive photonic device.

12 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical distribution network is dynamically configurable such that conveyance of light from a particular one of plurality of subsets of optical inputs to a particular one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs is configurable during operation of the electro-optical chip.

13 . An optical data communication system, comprising:

an optical power supply including a plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of lasers configured to generate and output a beam of continuous wave light of a different one of a plurality of wavelengths;

an electro-optical chip that exists separate and remote from the optical power supply, the electro-optical chip including a plurality of transmit macros, each of the plurality of transmit macros including an optical waveguide and a plurality of ring resonators positioned along the optical waveguide within an evanescent optical coupling distance of the optical waveguide,

wherein the electro-optical chip includes an optical distribution network implemented onboard the electro-optical chip, the optical distribution network having a plurality of optical inputs and a plurality of optical outputs, wherein each of the plurality of optical inputs is connected to receive a single and different wavelength of light from a corresponding beam of continuous wave light output by the optical power supply,

wherein each of the plurality of optical outputs of the optical distribution network is optically connected to the optical waveguide in a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit macros; and

an optical network configured to optically convey the beams of continuous wave light as output by the plurality of lasers within the optical power supply to respective ones of the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network within the electro-optical chip, wherein each one of the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network is connected to receive a different one of the beams of continuous wave light as output by the plurality of lasers.

14 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of lasers is thermally connected to at least one other of the plurality of lasers.

15 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the plurality of lasers are thermally connected together, such that a change in temperature of any one of the plurality of lasers causes a change in temperature of others of the plurality of lasers.

16 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of lasers is thermally connected to a common thermally conductive substrate within the optical power supply.

17 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the optical power supply includes an optical amplification device configured to increase an optical power level of each of the beams of continuous wave light output by the plurality of lasers.

18 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the optical network includes a plurality of optical fibers respectively optically connected to the plurality of optical inputs of the optical distribution network.

19 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the electro-optical chip is configured to tune each of the plurality of ring resonators to a respective resonant wavelength that substantially matches one of the plurality of wavelengths of the beams of continuous wave light as output by the plurality of lasers.

20 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein each optical waveguide within each of the plurality of transmit macros includes a first substantially linear-shaped segment, a second substantially linear-shaped segment, and a U-shaped segment that extends between the first substantially linear-shaped segment and the second substantially linear-shaped segment, such that an optical input of the first substantially linear-shaped segment and an optical input of the second substantially linear-shaped segment are located on a same side of said transmit macro that includes said optical waveguide.

21 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 20 , wherein the plurality of ring resonators with a given one of the plurality of transmit macros are positioned in a spaced apart manner along either the first substantially linear-shaped segment or the second substantially linear-shaped segment of the optical waveguide within the given one of the plurality of transmit macros.

22 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 13 , wherein the optical network includes a plurality of optical fibers optically connected to the optical power supply, wherein the optical power supply includes a lens array disposed between outputs of the plurality of lasers and the plurality of optical fibers of the optical network, the lens array including a respective lens for each of the plurality of lasers, wherein the lens for a given one of the plurality of lasers is configured to direct the beam of continuous wave light output by the given one of the plurality of lasers onto a facet of a corresponding one of the plurality of optical fibers.

23 . The electro-optical chip as recited in claim 22 , wherein the optical power supply includes an optical isolator disposed between the lens array and the plurality of optical fibers, the optical isolator configured to prevent light from traveling into the plurality of lasers.

24 . The optical data communication system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the optical distribution network is dynamically configurable such that conveyance of light from a particular one of plurality of subsets of optical inputs to a particular one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs is configurable during operation of the electro-optical chip.

25 . A method for generating a modulated optical data communication signal, comprising:

operating an optical power supply to generate a plurality of beams of continuous wave light, wherein each of the plurality of beams of continuous wave light has a different wavelength;

conveying the plurality of beams of continuous wave light from the optical power supply to an electro-optical chip that exists separate and remote from the optical power supply;

configuring an optical distribution network within the electro-optical chip, the optical distribution network having a plurality of optical inputs and a plurality of optical outputs, wherein each of the plurality of optical inputs is connected to receive a single and different wavelength of light from a corresponding beam of continuous wave light output by the optical power supply,

conveying light from the plurality of optical outputs of the optical distribution network into a respective plurality of optical waveguides of a respective plurality of transmit macros within the electro-optical chip; and

operating the plurality of transmit macros within the electro-optical chip to generate one or more modulated light signals that convey digital data.

26 . The method as recited in claim 25 , wherein operating the optical power supply to generate the plurality of beams of continuous wave light includes operating a plurality of lasers to respectively generate the plurality of beams of continuous wave light, wherein the plurality of lasers are thermally connected together, such that a change in temperature of any one of the plurality of lasers causes a change in temperature of others of the plurality of lasers, such that a temperature-induced drift in wavelength of any one of the plurality of beams of continuous wave light is accompanied by a corresponding temperature-induced drift in wavelength of others of the plurality of beams of continuous wave light.

27 . The method as recited in claim 25 , further comprising:

configuring the optical distribution network during operation of the electro-optical chip such that light from a particular one of plurality of subsets of optical inputs is conveyed to a particular one of the plurality of subsets of optical outputs.