Granted Patent B1

US 12,368,277 · App. 17/703,886 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Inventor: Zhensheng Jia (Superior, CO)

Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

H01S3/094053H01S3/094026H01S5/4006H04B10/503

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. An optical emission array, comprising:

a substrate disposed horizontally along a horizontal plane defined by a virtual x-axis and a virtual y-axis;

a waveguide distribution portion disposed in a vertical direction defined by a virtual z-axis substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the waveguide distribution portion including (a) an optical input configured to provide a parent laser source for the optical emission array, and (b) first and second waveguide optical distribution branches (i) disposed parallel to one another in the vertical direction from the substrate, and (ii) connecting with first and second waveguide distribution stacking points, respectively; and

first and second active emission layers disposed horizontally parallel with the substrate, wherein the second active emission layer is disposed farther from the substrate, in the vertical direction, than the first active emission layer,

wherein the first active emission layer includes (a) a first emission stacking point connecting with the first waveguide distribution stacking point of the waveguide distribution portion, and (b) a plurality of first child laser emitters, injection-locked to the parent laser source, and disposed parallel to one another in a horizontal direction along the virtual x-axis of the first active emission layer, and

wherein the second active emission layer includes (a) a second emission stacking point connecting with the second waveguide distribution stacking point of the waveguide distribution portion, and (b) a plurality of second child laser emitters each injection-locked to the parent laser source, and disposed parallel (i) to one another in the horizontal direction along the virtual x-axis, and (ii) to the plurality of first child lasers in the vertical direction along the virtual z-axis, such that the pluralities of first and second child lasers form a vertically x-z planar array.

2. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the optical input is configured to receive a high-quality, narrow-band, single longitudinal mode frequency signal from an external laser source.

3. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the optical input comprises the parent laser source.

4. The optical emission array of claim 3 , wherein the parent laser source includes an external cavity laser (ECL) configured to generate a high-quality, narrow-band, single longitudinal mode frequency signal.

5. The optical emission array of claim 4 , wherein the parent laser source further includes a modulator in operable communication with the ECL.

6. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the pluralities of first and second child laser emitters include at least one of an LED, a Fabry Perot (FP) surface emitter, an FP laser diode (FPLD), and a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

7. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the pluralities of first and second child laser emitters include an optical circulator in optical communication with the first or second emission stacking points.

8. The optical emission array of claim 7 , wherein the pluralities of first and second child laser emitters include a modulator in operable communication with the respective optical circulator.

9. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the at least two child laser emitters each have a resonator frequency injection locked to a primary frequency of a single longitudinal mode corresponding to the parent laser source.

10. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the input and the first and second waveguide optical distribution branches are also disposed in the vertical direction extending away from a surface of the substrate.

11. The optical emission array of claim 10 , further comprising a first controllable distribution waveguide disposed along at least one waveguide distribution branch of the first and second waveguide optical distribution branches.

12. The optical emission array of claim 11 , wherein the first controllable distribution waveguide is configured to introduce a delay to the at least one waveguide distribution branch between the optical input and one of the first and second waveguide distribution stacking points.

13. The optical emission array of claim 12 , wherein the introduced delay corresponds to a difference in length of the at least one waveguide distribution branch with respect to another waveguide distribution branch of the at least two first and second waveguide optical distribution branches.

14. The optical emission array of claim 11 , wherein the controllable waveguide is configured as a phase element.

15. The optical emission array of claim 14 , wherein the controllable waveguide comprises a heater pad.

16. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a silicon on silica (SoS) construction.

17. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the first active emission layer further includes (c) first and second optical emission branches disposed in the horizontal direction in an x-y plane with respect (i) to one another, and (ii) to a surface of the substrate.

18. The optical emission array of claim 17 , further comprising a first controllable emission waveguide disposed along at least one optical emission branch of the first and second optical emission branches.

19. The optical emission array of claim 18 , wherein the first controllable emission waveguide is configured to introduce a delay to the at least one optical emission branch between the first emission stacking point and at least one first child laser of the plurality of first child lasers.

20. The optical emission array of claim 1 , wherein the first and second waveguide optical distribution branches are disposed parallel to one another in a y-z plane.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (45)