Optical module
View Patent ↗An integrated apparatus with optical/electrical interfaces and protocol converter on a single silicon substrate. The apparatus includes an optical module comprising one or more modulators respectively coupled with one or more laser devices for producing a first optical signal to an optical interface and one or more photodetectors for detecting a second optical signal from the optical interface to generate a current signal. Additionally, the apparatus includes a transmit lane module coupled between the optical module and an electrical interface to receive a first electric signal from the electrical interface and provide a framing protocol for driving the one or more modulators. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a receive lane module coupled between the optical module and the electrical interface to process the current signal to send a second electric signal to the electrical interface.
1. An integrated communication apparatus:
a single silicon substrate;
an input port;
an output port;
an optical module, the optical module being configured on the single silicon substrate, the optical module comprises:
a first multiplexer configured to receive a multiplexed optical signal from the input port;
one or more DFB laser devices for producing optical signals, the DFB laser devices being characterized by a relative intensity noise (RIN) level of less than −140 dB/Hz to meet a PAMN transmission over 100 km, wherein N ranges from 2 to 8, the one or more DFB laser devices being coupled to a cooling module;
one or more optical modulators configured to modulate the optical signals based on one or more electrical signals; and
a second multiplexer configured to combine the modulated optical signals and to output the combined optical signals.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical module further comprises a plurality of photo-detectors.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of photo-detectors is configured to convert de-multiplexed optical signal with different wavelengths into corresponding electrical signals.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first multiplexer comprises a delay-line interferometer (DLI).
5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control module.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a receiver lane module coupled to the optical module.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the receiver lane module comprises a CDR, an FEC, a DSP, and/or a TIA.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein further comprising a transmit lane module.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transmit lane module comprises a CDR, an FEEC, an ENC, and/or a DRV.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second multiplexer comprises a DLI.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprises an electrical interface.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical modulators comprises a silicon-based Mach Zehnder modulator.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the silicon-based Mach Zehnder modulator operates in a carrier depletion mode.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of DFB laser devices is uncooled to allow temperature-dependent wavelength float.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical signals are associated with one or more wavelengths configured in a coarse wavelength division multiplex (CWDM) grid.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical signals are associated with one or more wavelengths configured in a dense wavelength division multiplex (DWDM) grid.
17. An optical module comprising:
a first multiplexer configured to receive a multiplexed optical signal from the input port;
one or more DFB laser devices for producing optical signals, the DFB laser devices being characterized by a relative intensity noise (RIN) level of less than −140 dB/Hz to meet a PAM N transmission over 100 km, whereupon N ranges from 2 to 8, the optical signals being associated with one or more wavelengths configured in a coarse wavelength division multiplex (CWDM) grid or a dense wavelength division multiplex (DWDM) grid, the one or more DFB laser devices being externally modulated using a Si Mach Zehnder modulator operating in a carrier depletion mode;
one or more optical modulators configured to modulate the optical signals based on one or more electrical signals; and
a second multiplexer configured to combine the modulated optical signals and to output the combined optical signals.
18. An optical module configured on the single silicon substrate, the optical module comprising:
a first multiplexer configured to receive a multiplexed optical signal from the input port;
a plurality of photo-detectors, the photo-detectors being configured to convert de-multiplexed optical signal with different wavelengths into corresponding electrical signals
one or more DFB laser devices for producing optical signals, the DFB laser devices being characterized by a relative intensity noise (RIN) level of less than −140 dB/Hz to meet a PAM N transmission over 100 km, whereupon N ranges from 2 to 8, the one or more DFB laser devices being coupled to a cooling module;
one or more optical modulators configured to modulate the optical signals based on one or more electrical signals; and
a second multiplexer configured to combine the modulated optical signals and to output the combined optical signals.