Reconfigurable PIC architecture for both phase and amplitude modulation

A photonics integrated circuit (PIC) chip comprising:

• a substrate;
• an input unit formed on the substrate and including at least one optical input IN1 and optical outputs ISO1-ISO4;
• a modulation unit (MU) formed on the substrate, the MU including modulators M1-M4 having optical inputs S1-S4 and optical outputs T1-T4, wherein the optical inputs S1-S4 are optically coupled to optical outputs ISO1-ISO4 of the input unit, wherein each modulator is operative for modulating light received at the optical input of the modulator and for outputting the modulated light on the optical output of the modulator;
• a first stage optical switch unit (1SOSU) formed on the substrate, the 1SOSU including:
• a first optical switch unit (OSU1) including optical inputs I1 and I2 and optical outputs P1/O1 and P2, wherein the optical inputs I1 and I2 are optically coupled to the optical outputs T1 and T2 of the modulators M1 and M2, and
• a second optical switch unit (OSU2) including optical inputs I3 and I4 and optical outputs P3 and P4/O4, wherein the optical inputs I3 and I4 are optically coupled to the optical outputs T3 and T4 of the modulators M3 and M4;
• and
• a second stage optical switch unit (2SOSU) formed on the substrate, the 2SOSU including a third optical switch unit (OSU3) including optical inputs I5 and I6 and optical outputs O2 and O3, wherein the optical inputs I5 and I6 are optically coupled to optical outputs P2 and P3 of OSU1 and OSU2, wherein the input unit comprises:
• a fourth optical switch unit (OSU4) including optical inputs IN2 and IN3 and optical outputs IO2 and IO3,
• a fifth optical switch unit (OSU5) including the optical input IN1, an optical input IN5 coupled to the optical output IO2 of OSU4, and the optical outputs ISO1 and ISO2, and
• a sixth optical switch unit (OSU6) including an optical input IN4, an optical input IN6 coupled to the optical output IO3 of OSU4, and the optical outputs ISO3 and ISO4.

A photonics integrated circuit (PIC) chip comprising:

• a substrate;
• an input unit formed on the substrate and including at least one optical input (IN) and a plurality of optical outputs (ISO);
• a modulation unit (MU) formed on the substrate, the MU including a plurality of modulators (M) having optical inputs(S) and optical outputs (T), wherein the plurality of optical inputs S of the MU are optically coupled to the plurality of optical outputs ISO of the input unit, wherein each modulator M is operative for modulating light received at the optical input S of the modulator M and for outputting the modulated light on the optical output T of the modulator M;
• a first stage optical switch unit (1SOSU) formed on the substrate and including a plurality of optical inputs (I) and first and second subsets of optical outputs, wherein:
• the plurality of optical inputs I of the 1SOSU are optically coupled to the plurality of optical outputs T of the MU, and
• the first subset of the optical outputs of the 1SOSU define a first subset of optical outputs of the PIC chip;
• and
• a second stage optical switch unit (2SOSU) formed on the substrate and including a plurality of optical inputs I and a second subset of the optical outputs of the PIC chip, wherein the plurality of optical inputs I of the 2SOSU are optically coupled to the second subset of the optical outputs of the 1SOSU;
• wherein the 1SOSU and the 2SOSU are each configurable by a controller in the following modes:
• a coupler mode, wherein at least portions of the optical outputs T of the plurality of modulators M are combined at each optical output of the 1SOSU and the 2SOSU;
• a bar mode, wherein a first subset of the optical outputs T of the plurality of modulators M is output directly on the first subset of the optical outputs of the PIC chip and a second subset of the optical outputs T of the plurality of modulators M is output on the second subset of the optical outputs of the PIC chip via the 2SOSU;
• and
• a cross mode, wherein a first subset of the optical outputs T of the plurality of modulators M is crossed by the 1SOSU and output on the first subset of the optical outputs of the PIC chip and a second subset of the optical outputs T of the plurality of modulators M is crossed by the 2SOSU and is output on the second subset of the optical outputs of the PIC chip,
• wherein the input unit comprises a plurality of optical inputs (IN1-INx) and the plurality of optical outputs (ISO1-ISOx), wherein the input unit is configurable by a controller in the following modes:
• a coupler mode, wherein at least portions of optical inputs into the plurality of optical inputs IN1-INx of the input unit are combined at each optical output ISO1-ISOx of the input unit;
• a bar-bar mode, wherein optical inputs into the plurality of optical inputs IN1-INx of the input unit are output directly to the respective optical outputs ISO1-ISOx of the input unit;
• a bar-coupler or cross-coupler mode, wherein a subset of at least portions of the optical inputs into the plurality of optical inputs IN1-INx of the input unit are combined and output on a subset optical output ISO1-ISOx of the input unit;
• and
• bar-cross or a cross-cross mode, wherein a first subset of the optical inputs into the plurality of optical inputs IN1-INx of the input unit are crossed and output to optical outputs ISOx-ISO1 of the input unit.