Integration of optical gain subassembly with silicon photonics
A system including an optical transceiver, including a first portion of a laser cavity operable to output optical energy; and an optical modulator operable to modulate the optical energy output by the laser; and a temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly optically coupled to the optical transceiver, the optical gain subassembly including a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), wherein one SOA of the plurality of SOAs is operable to amplify the optical energy inside a laser cavity.
1. A system comprising:
an optical transceiver comprising:
a first portion of a laser cavity operable to output optical energy; and
an optical modulator operable to modulate the optical energy output by the first portion of the laser cavity; and
a temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly optically coupled to the optical transceiver,
the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly comprising:
a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), wherein one SOA of the plurality of SOAs is operable to amplify the optical energy inside a laser cavity.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a second SOA, wherein the second SOA is operable to amplify a modulated signal.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a second SOA and a third SOA, wherein the second SOA and the third SOA are operable to amplify the first polarization signal; and
a fourth SOA and a fifth SOA, wherein the fourth SOA and the fifth SOA are operable to amplify the second polarization signal.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a polarization beam splitter and a waveplate operable to combine the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal into an output optical signal; and
an optical fiber connector operable to output the output optical signal.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the SOAs comprises a u-shaped optical path geometry.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an SOA array comprising the plurality of SOAs, wherein a portion of the SOA array is covered with a high-reflective coating.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second portion of the laser cavity within the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly, wherein the second portion comprising a waveguide coupled to the first SOA.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly is optically coupled to the optical transceiver through a dual lens optical connection.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the dual lens optical connection reduces sensitivity to spatial movement between the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly and the optical transceiver.
10. A method of sending an optical signal, the method comprising:
generating the optical signal at an optical transceiver, wherein the optical transceiver includes:
a first portion of a laser cavity operable to output optical energy; and
an optical modulator operable to modulate the optical energy output by the first portion of the laser cavity; and
a temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly optically coupled to the optical transceiver, the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly comprising:
a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), wherein one SOA of the plurality of SOAs is operable to amplify the optical energy inside a laser cavity; and
outputting the optical signal via an optical fiber.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a second SOA, wherein the second SOA is operable to amplify a modulated signal.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the SOAs comprises a u-shaped optical path geometry.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a SOA array comprising the plurality of SOAs, wherein a portion of the SOA array is covered with a high-reflective coating.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly is optically coupled to the optical transceiver through a dual lens optical connection.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the dual lens optical connection reduces sensitivity to spatial movement between the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly and the optical transceiver.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a second SOA and a third SOA, wherein the second SOA and the third SOA are operable to amplify the first polarization signal; and
a fourth SOA and a fifth SOA, wherein the forth SOA and the fifth SOA are operable to amplify the second polarization signal.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly further comprises:
a polarization beam splitter and a waveplate operable to combine the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal into an output optical signal; and
an optical fiber connector operable to output the output optical signal.