Optical system having optical supply sub-system with redundant light source

An optical system comprising:

• a photonic integrated circuit;
• and
• an optical supply sub-system coupled to the photonic integrated circuit, wherein the optical supply sub-system comprises:
• a primary light source configured to generate a primary light;
• a first optical coupler comprising a first metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAP) microring resonator (MRR) and a first pair of waveguide arms formed adjacent to the first MOSCAP MRR, wherein the first optical coupler is coupled to the primary light source and the photonic integrated circuit to control propagation of the primary light to the photonic integrated circuit according to a mode of the first MOSCAP MRR that controls coupling of light between the first pair of waveguide arms;
• an auxiliary light source configured to generate an auxiliary light when the primary light source malfunctions;
• and
• a second optical coupler comprising a second MOSCAP MRR and a second pair of waveguide arms formed adjacent to the second MOSCAP MRR, wherein the second optical coupler is coupled to the auxiliary light source and the first optical coupler, wherein the first MOSCAP MRR and the second MOSCAP MRR are configured to control propagation of the auxiliary light from the auxiliary light source to the photonic integrated circuit according to a mode of the second MOSCAP MRR that controls coupling of light between the second pair of waveguide arms.

A method for supplying light to a photonic integrated circuit, the method comprising:

• causing, by a controller, a primary light source to generate a primary light, wherein the primary light source is disposed in an optical supply sub-system connected to the photonic integrated circuit, wherein the primary light source is coupled to the photonic integrated circuit via a first optical coupler comprising a first metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAP) microring resonator (MRR) and a first pair of waveguide arms formed adjacent to the first MOSCAP MRR, wherein the optical supply sub-system further comprises an auxiliary light source coupled to the first optical coupler via a second optical coupler, wherein the second optical coupler comprises a second MOSCAP MRR and a second pair of waveguide arms formed adjacent to the second MOSCAP MRR;
• responsive to determining that the primary light source is operating in a first state, controlling, by the controller, the first MOSCAP MRR to allow the primary light to propagate the photonic integrated circuit via the first optical coupler by allowing coupling of the primary light between the first pair of waveguide arms;
• and
• responsive to determining that the primary light source is operating in a second state, turning on, by the controller, the auxiliary light source to generate an auxiliary light, and controlling the first MOSCAP MRR and the second MOSCAP MRR to allow the auxiliary light to propagate the photonic integrated circuit via the first optical coupler and the second optical coupler by optically isolating the first pair of waveguide arms and allowing coupling of the auxiliary light between the second pair of waveguide arms.