Integration of optical gain subassembly with silicon photonics
View Patent ↗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 uncooled silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising a first portion of a laser cavity operable to output optical energy; and
a temperature-controlled optical subassembly attachable to the uncooled silicon PIC comprising a second portion of a laser cavity; and
the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly comprising a plurality of semiconductor optical gain elements,
an optical subassembly attachable to the uncooled silicon PIC comprising a second portion of a laser cavity, wherein the optical subassembly is operable to provide cooled optical gain,
wherein the laser cavity comprises the first portion of the laser cavity, wherein a first semiconductor optical gain element of the plurality of semiconductor optical gain elements is operable to amplify the optical energy inside the laser cavity.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a laser operable to output via the laser cavity is a tunable laser.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a laser operable to output via the laser cavity is a fixed wavelength laser.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor optical gain elements comprises:
a second semiconductor optical gain element, wherein the second semiconductor optical gain element is operable to amplify a modulated signal.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor optical gain elements comprises:
a second semiconductor optical gain element and a third semiconductor optical gain element, wherein the second semiconductor optical gain element and the third semiconductor optical gain element are operable to amplify a first polarization signal; and
a fourth semiconductor optical gain element and a fifth semiconductor optical gain element, wherein the fourth semiconductor optical gain element and the fifth semiconductor optical gain element are operable to amplify a second polarization signal.
6. 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.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the semiconductor optical gain elements comprises a U-shaped optical path geometry.
8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a high-reflective coating disposed on a portion of the optical subassembly.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the second portion of the laser cavity within the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly, wherein the second portion comprises a waveguide coupled to the first semiconductor optical gain element.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly is optically coupled to an electro-optical device through a dual lens optical connection.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the dual lens optical connection reduces sensitivity to spatial movement between the temperature-controlled optical gain subassembly and the electro-optical device.