Managing control of optical phased arrays with multiple optical source ports

A method for steering light, the method comprising:

• providing, from a plurality of optical source ports, a respective optical wave that is tuned over different respective wavelengths, within different respective time slots;
• emitting at least a portion of the light from at least one optical phased array comprising a plurality of optical phase shifters, and a plurality of optical grating antennas, including two or more optical grating antennas each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters;
• distributing at least a portion of the light using at least one optical distribution network (ODN) comprising:
• a plurality of ODN input ports, and
• a plurality of ODN output ports, including two or more ODN output ports each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters,
• wherein each of the two or more ODN output ports is coupled to a single one of the plurality of ODN input ports;
• and
• coupling at least a portion of the light using at least one passive multiport optical coupler (PMOC) comprising:
• a plurality of PMOC input ports, including two or more PMOC input ports each coupled to a different respective one of the optical source ports, and
• a plurality of PMOC output ports, including two or more PMOC output ports each coupled to a different respective one of the plurality of ODN input ports,
• wherein a first of the two or more PMOC input ports is coupled to a first and second of the two or more PMOC output ports over different respective propagation paths having a first relative optical phase shift, and a second of the two or more PMOC input ports is coupled to the first and second of the two or more PMOC output ports over the different respective propagation paths having a second relative optical phase shift different from the first relative optical phase shift.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of optical source ports, each configured to provide a respective optical wave that is tuned over different respective wavelengths, and provided within different respective time slots of a plurality of time slots;
• at least one optical phased array comprising a plurality of optical phase shifters, and a plurality of optical grating antennas, including two or more optical grating antennas each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters;
• at least one optical distribution network (ODN) comprising:
• one or more ODN input ports, and
• a plurality of ODN output ports, including two or more ODN output ports each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters;
• and
• at least one optical coupler (OC) comprising:
• one or more OC input ports, including at least one OC input port coupled to one of the optical source ports, and
• one or more OC output ports, including at least one OC output port coupled to one of the one or more ODN input ports;
• wherein a single period of a repeating pattern of wavelengths are provided from the plurality of optical source ports in the plurality of time slots, the plurality of time slots comprising:
• a first time slot in which a first of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a first wavelength,
• a second time slot, starting at or after an end of the first time slot, in which a second of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and
• a third time slot, starting at or after an end of the second time slot, in which the first of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a third wavelength between the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

A method for steering light, the method comprising:

• providing, from a plurality of optical source ports, a respective optical wave that is tuned over different respective wavelengths, within different respective time slots of a plurality of time slots;
• emitting at least a portion of the light from at least one optical phased array comprising a plurality of optical phase shifters, and a plurality of optical grating antennas, including two or more optical grating antennas each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters;
• distributing at least a portion of the light using at least one optical distribution network (ODN) comprising:
• one or more ODN input ports, and
• a plurality of ODN output ports, including two or more ODN output ports each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters;
• and
• coupling at least a portion of the light using at least one optical coupler (OC) comprising:
• one or more OC input ports, including at least one OC input port coupled to one of the optical source ports, and
• one or more OC output ports, including at least one OC output port coupled to one of the one or more ODN input ports;
• wherein a single period of a repeating pattern of wavelengths are provided from the plurality of optical source ports in the plurality of time slots, the plurality of time slots comprising:
• a first time slot in which a first of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a first wavelength,
• a second time slot, starting at or after an end of the first time slot, in which a second of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and
• a third time slot, starting at or after an end of the second time slot, in which the first of the plurality of optical source ports provides an optical wave tuned to a third wavelength between the first wavelength and the second wavelength.