Method and system for optical alignment to a silicon photonically-enabled integrated circuit
Methods and systems for optical alignment to a silicon photonically-enabled integrated circuit may include aligning an optical assembly to a photonics die comprising a transceiver by, at least, communicating optical signals from the optical assembly into a plurality of grating couplers in the photonics die, communicating the one or more optical signals from the plurality of grating couplers to optical taps, with each tap having a first output coupled to the transceiver and a second output coupled to a corresponding output grating coupler, and monitoring an output optical signal communicated out of said photonic chip via said output grating couplers. The monitored output optical signal may be maximized by adjusting a position of the optical assembly. The optical assembly may include an optical source assembly comprising one or more lasers or the optical assembly may comprise a fiber array. Such a fiber array may include single mode optical fibers.
1. A method for communication, the method comprising:
aligning an optical assembly to a photonics die comprising a transceiver by, at least:
communicating one or more optical signals from said optical assembly into a plurality of grating couplers in said photonics die;
communicating said one or more optical signals from said plurality of grating couplers to optical taps, each tap having a first output coupled to said transceiver and a second output coupled to a corresponding output grating coupler;
monitoring, using a photodetector in a gripper for said aligning, an output optical signal communicated to said photodetector via a first of said output grating couplers and an optical fiber in said gripper; and
monitoring, using a scattered light photodetector in said gripper, a second output optical signal communicated out of said photonics die via a second of said output grating couplers.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising maximizing the monitored output optical signal by adjusting a position of the optical assembly.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical assembly comprises an optical source assembly comprising one or more lasers.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical assembly comprises a fiber array.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the fiber array comprises single mode optical fibers.
6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising aligning the optical assembly to the photonics die using the gripper with a multimode fiber for receiving the output optical signal.
7. The method according to claim 6 , comprising monitoring the output optical signal using the photodetector in the gripper, the photodetector coupled to the multimode fiber.
8. The method according to claim 6 , comprising monitoring the output optical signal using direct illumination of the scattered light photodetector in the gripper.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of grating couplers comprise single polarization grating couplers.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a second subset of the plurality of grating couplers comprise polarization splitting grating couplers.
11. A system for communication, the system comprising:
an optical transceiver in a photonics die with photonics circuitry for aligning an optical assembly to the photonics die, the system being operable to:
communicate one or more optical signals from said optical assembly into a plurality of grating couplers in said photonics die;
communicate said one or more optical signals from said plurality of grating couplers to optical taps, each tap having a first output coupled to said transceiver and a second output coupled to a corresponding output grating coupler;
monitor, using a photodetector in a gripper for said aligning, an output optical signal communicated to said photodetector via a first of said output grating couplers and an optical fiber in said gripper; and
monitoring, using a scattered light photodetector in said gripper, a second output optical signal communicated out of said photonics die via a second of said output grating couplers.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the system is operable to maximize the monitored output optical signal by adjusting a position of the optical assembly.
13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the optical assembly comprises an optical source assembly comprising one or more lasers.
14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the optical assembly comprises a fiber array.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the fiber array comprises single mode optical fibers.
16. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the optical assembly is aligned to the photonics die using a gripper with a multimode fiber for receiving the output optical signal.
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the system is operable to monitor the output optical signal using the photodetector in the gripper, the photodetector coupled to the multimode fiber.
18. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the system is operable to monitor the output optical signal using direct illumination of the scattered light photodetector in the gripper.
19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of grating couplers comprise single polarization grating couplers and a second subset of the plurality of grating couplers comprise polarization splitting grating couplers.
20. A system for communication, the system comprising:
an optical transceiver in a photonics die with photonics circuitry for aligning an optical assembly to the photonics die, the system being operable to:
communicate one or more optical signals from said optical assembly into one or more grating couplers in said photonics die;
communicate said one or more optical signals from said one or more grating couplers to optical taps, each tap having a first output coupled to said transceiver and a second output coupled to a corresponding output grating coupler; and
monitor, using a photodetector in a gripper for said aligning, one or more output optical signals communicated to said photodetector out of said photonics die via a first of said output grating couplers and an optical fiber in said gripper; and
monitor, using a scattered light photodetector in said gripper, a second output optical signal communicated out of said photonics die via a second of said output grating couplers.