Silicon photonics based single-wavelength 100 gbit/S PAM4 DWDM transceiver in pluggable form factor

A transceiver comprising a transmitter, the transmitter having:

• a laser source;
• a fiber array pigtail having:
• a fiber array coupler;
• a polarization maintaining fiber having a first end configured to optically connect with the laser source and a second end nested within a laser input channel within the fiber array coupler;
• an output single mode fiber having a first end nested within a signal output channel within the fiber array coupler and a second end optically connected to a signal output LC receptacle;
• a silicon photonics modulator chip connected to the fiber array coupler, the silicon photonics modulator chip comprising:
• a laser input interface optically connected to the second end of polarization maintaining fiber;
• a signal output interface optically connected to the first end of the signal output single mode fiber;
• and
• a modulator driver chip connected to the silicon photonics modulator chip.

A method of passively aligning a fiber array coupler with a silicon photonics modulator chip comprising the steps of:

• positioning the fiber array coupler such that it is positioned adjacently with the silicon photonics modulator chip;
• introducing a laser source to the silicon photonics modulator chip, such that a laser travels through a loop input single mode fiber nested within a loop input channel within the fiber array coupler, enters the silicon photonics modulator chip through a loop input interface on the silicon photonics modulator chip, travels through a reference loop within the silicon photonics modulator chip, exits the silicon photonics modulator chip through a loop output interface and travels through a loop output single mode fiber nested within a loop output channel within the fiber array coupler;
• adjusting the position of the fiber array coupler until the intensity of the laser exiting the loop output single mode fiber is maximized;
• and
• attaching a fiber array coupler to the silicon photonics modulator chip such that the fiber array coupler is secured to the silicon photonics modulator chip.