Photonic integrated circuit and opto-electronic system comprising the same

A photonic integrated circuit, PIC, comprising:

• at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations;
• an InP-based polarization handling unit;
• at least two optical splitter-combiners;
• at least two optical receivers;
• and
• a plurality of semiconductor-based optical waveguides;
• wherein the plurality of semiconductor-based optical waveguides are configured and arranged to optically connect:
• a first fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with a first optical receiver of the at least two optical receivers via a first optical splitter-combiner of the at least two optical splitter-combiners;
• a second fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with the at least two optical receivers via the InP-based polarization handling unit and the at least two optical splitter-combiners;
• and
• a third fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with a second optical receiver of the at least two optical receivers via a second optical splitter-combiner of the at least two optical splitter-combiners;
• and wherein:
• the first optical receiver of the at least two optical receivers has a first optical input port;
• the second optical receiver of the at least two optical receivers has a second optical input port;
• the first optical splitter-combiner has:
• a first end part that is provided with at least a first optical interface and a second optical interface;
• and
• a second end part that is provided with at least a third optical interface;
• the second optical splitter-combiner has:
• a third end part that is provided with at least a fourth optical interface and a fifth optical interface;
• and
• a fourth end part that is provided with at least a sixth optical interface;
• the InP-based polarization handling unit comprises:
• an InP-based polarization splitter having a fourth optical input port, a third optical output port, and a fourth optical output port;
• and
• an InP-based polarization rotator having a fifth optical input port and a fifth optical output port;
• and
• the plurality of semiconductor-based optical waveguides comprises:
• a first semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the first fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with the first optical interface of the first optical splitter-combiner;
• a second semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the second fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with the fourth optical input port of the InP-based polarization splitter;
• a third semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the third fiber-to-chip coupling location of the at least three fiber-to-chip coupling locations with the fourth optical interface of the second optical splitter-combiner;
• a fourth semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the third optical output port of the InP-based polarization splitter with the fifth optical input port of the InP-based polarization rotator;
• a fifth semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the fourth optical output port of the InP-based polarization splitter with the fifth optical interface of the second optical splitter-combiner;
• a sixth semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the fifth optical output port of the InP-based polarization rotator with the second optical interface of the first optical splitter-combiner;
• a seventh semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the third optical interface of the first splitter-combiner with the first optical input port of the first optical receiver;
• and
• an eighth semiconductor-based optical waveguide that is arranged to optically connect the sixth optical interface of the second optical splitter-combiner with the second optical input port of the second optical receiver.