Optical communication system with a simplified remote optical power supply

An optical data communication system, comprising:

• an optical power supply including a plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of lasers configured to generate and output a beam of continuous wave light of a different one of a plurality of wavelengths, such that beams of continuous wave light output by the plurality of lasers collectively include all of the plurality of wavelengths;
• an electro-optical chip that exists separate and remote from the optical power supply, the electro-optical chip including a plurality of transmit macros, each of the plurality of transmit macros including an optical waveguide and a plurality of ring resonators positioned along the optical waveguide within an evanescent optical coupling distance of the optical waveguide, the electro-optical chip including an optical distribution network implemented onboard the electro-optical chip, the optical distribution network having a number N of optical inputs and a number M of optical outputs, wherein the number N is greater than one and the number M is greater than one, each of the optical inputs connected to receive a single and different wavelength of continuous wave light so that a number N of different wavelengths of continuous wave light are collectively received across the number N of optical inputs, the optical distribution network configured to convey a portion of the continuous wave light received at each optical input within a first subset of the optical inputs to each optical output within a first subset of the optical outputs, wherein a number of optical inputs in the first subset of the optical inputs is less than the number N, and wherein a number of optical outputs in the first subset of the optical outputs is less than the number M, the optical distribution network configured to convey a portion of the continuous wave light received at each optical input within a second subset of the optical inputs to each optical output within a second subset of the optical outputs, wherein a number of optical inputs in the second subset of the optical inputs is less than the number N, and wherein a number of optical outputs in the second subset of the optical outputs is less than the number M, wherein each optical input of the first subset of optical inputs is not in the second subset of the optical inputs, wherein each optical output of the first subset of optical outputs is not in the second subset of the optical outputs, each of the number M of optical outputs of the optical distribution network optically connected to the optical waveguide in a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit macros;
• and
• an optical network configured to optically convey the beams of continuous wave light as output by the plurality of lasers within the optical power supply to respective ones of the number N of optical inputs of the optical distribution network within the electro-optical chip, wherein each one of the number N of optical inputs of the optical distribution network is connected to receive a different one of the beams of continuous wave light as output by the plurality of lasers.