Laser-shared coherent transceivers and methods

A coherent optical transceiver configured to produce an optical transmit signal and to receive an optical receive signal from another coherent optical transceiver, the coherent optical transceiver, comprising:

• a single-wavelength laser source configured to produce a source beam at a source beam wavelength in association with a reference wavelength, wherein the source beam is used to produce the optical transmit signal;
• and
• a wavelength detector coupled to detect a wavelength deviation of light of the receive signal or the source beam;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal.

One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a coherent optical transceiver to perform a method comprising:

• producing a source beam at a source beam wavelength with a single-wavelength laser source, wherein the source beam is used to produce an optical transmit signal;
• locking the source beam wavelength to a reference wavelength;
• with a wavelength detector, detecting a wavelength deviation of the source beam or an optical receive signal received from another coherent optical transceiver;
• determining whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver;
• and
• determining whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal.

A coherent optical transceiver configured to produce an optical transmit signal and to receive an optical receive signal from another coherent optical transceiver, the coherent optical transceiver, comprising:

• a single-wavelength laser source configured to produce a source beam at a source beam wavelength in association with a reference wavelength, wherein the source beam is used to produce the optical transmit signal;
• and
• a wavelength detector coupled to detect a wavelength deviation of light of the receive signal or the source beam;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver or the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal;
• wherein the wavelength detector comprises an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer configured to convert the light into a wavelength dependent output light;
• wherein waveguide material or waveguide geometry of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is selected or optical modes are selectively coupled into the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, so as to provide an input wavelength dependent signal that is independent of temperature or to provide known thermal and wavelength sensitive responses associated with a local device temperature and input laser wavelength.

A coherent optical transceiver configured to produce an optical transmit signal and to receive an optical receive signal from another coherent optical transceiver, the coherent optical transceiver, comprising:

• a single-wavelength laser source configured to produce a source beam at a source beam wavelength in association with a reference wavelength, wherein the source beam is used to produce the optical transmit signal;
• and
• a wavelength detector coupled to detect a wavelength deviation of light of the receive signal or the source beam;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver or the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal;
• wherein the wavelength detector comprises an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer configured to convert the light into a wavelength dependent output light;
• wherein the wavelength detector further comprises one or more additional asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers to form an array, wherein each of the interferometers with different parameters is tuned to detect different wavelengths or temperature ranges.

A coherent optical transceiver configured to produce an optical transmit signal and to receive an optical receive signal from another coherent optical transceiver, the coherent optical transceiver, comprising:

• a single-wavelength laser source configured to produce a source beam at a source beam wavelength in association with a reference wavelength, wherein the source beam is used to produce the optical transmit signal;
• a wavelength detector coupled to detect a wavelength deviation of light of the receive signal or the source beam;
• and
• a thermal control system coupled to the single-wavelength laser source, wherein the thermal control system is configured to control a temperature of the single-wavelength laser source to lock the source beam wavelength to the reference wavelength;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver or the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal;
• wherein the coherent optical transceiver includes a receive digital signal processor (DSP) configured to produce a receive electrical signal from the optical receive signal, wherein the receive DSP is configured to detect a signed or non-signed absolute value of a wavelength difference between a wavelength of the optical receive signal and the source beam wavelength;
• wherein the receive DSP is coupled to the thermal control system to adjust, in response to the detected wavelength difference, the source beam wavelength away from a fixed or target wavelength associated with the reference wavelength, to reduce the wavelength difference;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to determine whether the wavelength deviation is out-of-tolerance in relation to a wavelength range of operation for the coherent optical transceiver or the other coherent optical transceiver sending the receive signal by comparing the detected wavelength deviation and the wavelength difference.