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US 12,308,601 B1Granted
Wavelength locker
AssigneeAcacia Communications, Inc.
InventorsLong Chen, Christopher Doerr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for calculating the frequency of the light.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- measuring, by a wavelength locker, a phase in a period of a wavelength filter of a portion of light to produce a measured phase, wherein measuring the phase of the portion of light using the wavelength filter includes:
- inputting the portion of the light into a length imbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a 90 degree optical hybrid coupled to a first photodetector and a second photodetector;
- transmitting, from the 90 degree optical hybrid, an in-phase (I) signal to the first photodetector and a quadrature (Q) signal to the second photodetector;
- receiving, from the first photodetector the I signal and receiving from the second photodetector the Q signal in response to the light;
- and
- calculating a wavelength of the light based on the I and Q signal to produce a calculated wavelength;
- comparing the calculated wavelength of light to a desired wavelength;
- and
- changing the wavelength of the light to match the desired wavelength based on the calculated wavelength not matching the desired wavelength.
6 more elements
A system comprising:
- a length-imbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
- a 90-degree optical hybrid coupled to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
- a first photodetector and a second photodetector, wherein each of the first and second photodetectors is coupled to at least one output of the 90-degree optical hybrid, wherein the first photodetector outputs an in-phase (I) signal and the second photodetector outputs a quadrature (Q) signal;
- a processor coupled to the first and second photodetectors, the processor is to:
- determine a wavelength of light based on the I and Q signal to produce a determined wavelength of light;
- compare the determined wavelength of light to a desired wavelength of light;
- and
- change the wavelength of the light to match the desired wavelength of light based on the determined wavelength not matching the desired wavelength.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a laser;
- a length-imbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
- a 90-degree optical hybrid coupled to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
- a first photodetector and a second photodetector, wherein each of the first and second photodetectors is coupled to two outputs of the 90-degree optical hybrid, wherein a first signal is sent to the first photodetector from one of the two outputs, and wherein a second signal is sent to the second photodetector from one of the two outputs;
- an analog to digital converter coupled to each of the first and second photodetectors;
- and
- a processor coupled to the analog to digital converters, wherein the analog to digital converters provide an input to the process, the processor is to:
- determine a wavelength of light to produce a determined wavelength of light;
- compare the determined wavelength of light to a desired wavelength of light;
- and
- change the determined wavelength of the light to match the desired wavelength of light based on the wavelength not matching the desired wavelength.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.