Harmonic generation and phase sensitive amplification using a bragg reflection waveguide

An optical amplifier, comprising:

• a first stage to generate a combined signal, the first stage further comprising:
• a first Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW) having second order optical nonlinearity for receiving an optical signal for amplification, the optical signal being modulated with data using binary phase shift keying or differential phase shift keying, wherein the optical signal is transmitted through the first BRW while an electrical current is injected into the first BRW, and wherein within the first BRW:
• an optical pump at a pump frequency for the optical signal is injection locked by seed from second harmonic generation from the optical signal, wherein the optical pump does not include the data modulated;
• and
• a first optical power of the optical pump is increased by the electrical current injected and stimulated emission;
• a first bandpass filter for isolating the optical pump generated by the first BRW;
• a phase delay control applied to the optical signal along a separate optical path from the first BRW;
• an optical coupler to combine the optical pump isolated with the optical signal output from the phase delay control to generate the combined signal, wherein the optical signal has a second optical power in the combined signal;
• and
• a second stage further comprising:
• a second BRW having second order optical nonlinearity for receiving the combined signal, wherein the second optical power of the optical signal is increased in the second BRW.

A method for amplifying optical signals, comprising:

• receiving an optical signal for amplification, the optical signal being modulated with data using non-uniform quadrature phase shift keying or non-uniform differential quadrature phase shift keying;
• transmitting the optical signal through a first Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW) having second order optical nonlinearity while an electrical current is injected into the first BRW to enable optical gain of a pump frequency within the first BRW, wherein within the first BRW:
• an optical pump at the pump frequency is injection locked by seed from second harmonic generation from the optical signal;
• and
• a first optical power of the optical pump is increased by the electrical current injected and stimulated emission;
• isolating the optical pump generated by the first BRW using a first bandpass filter;
• applying a phase adjustment to the optical signal received, wherein the optical signal has a second optical power;
• combining the optical pump output by the first bandpass filter with the optical signal after phase adjustment to create an in-phase combined signal;
• transmitting the in-phase combined signal through a second BRW having second order optical nonlinearity to increase an in-phase portion of the second optical power;
• combining the optical pump output by the first bandpass filter with the optical signal after phase adjustment and a phase shift to create a quadrature-phase combined signal;
• and
• transmitting the quadrature-phase combined signal through a third BRW having second order optical nonlinearity to increase a quadrature-phase portion of the second optical power.

An optical amplifier, comprising:

• a first stage comprising:
• a first Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW) having second order optical nonlinearity for receiving an optical signal for amplification, the optical signal being modulated with data using non-uniform quadrature phase shift keying or non-uniform differential quadrature phase shift keying, wherein the optical signal is transmitted through the first BRW while an electrical current is injected into the BRW, and wherein within the first BRW:
• an optical pump at the pump frequency is injection locked by seed from second harmonic generation from the optical signal;
• and
• a first optical power of the optical pump is increased by the electrical current injected and stimulated emission;
• a first bandpass filter for isolating the optical pump generated by the first BRW;
• and
• a phase delay control applied to the optical signal along a separate optical path from the first BRW, wherein the optical signal has a second optical power;
• a second stage further comprising:
• a first optical coupler to combine the optical pump output by the first bandpass filter with the optical signal output from the phase delay control to generate an in-phase combined signal;
• a second BRW having second order optical nonlinearity for receiving the in-phase combined signal, wherein an in-phase portion of the second optical power is increased in the second BRW;
• a second optical coupler to combine the optical pump output by the first bandpass filter with the optical signal output from the phase delay control and subject to a phase shift to generate an quadrature-phase combined signal;
• and
• a third BRW having second order optical nonlinearity for receiving the quadrature-phase combined signal, wherein a quadrature-phase portion of the second optical power is increased in the third BRW.