Silicon photonic device with redundant semiconductor optical amplifiers
AssigneeOpenLight Photonics, Inc.
InventorsJohn Parker, Molly Piels, Hanxing Shi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical transmitter includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to receive light and amplify the light to generate amplified light. A backup SOA is also configured to receive light and amplify the light to generate backup amplified light. An SOA input switch selectively routes light toward either the SOA or the backup SOA. An output outputs the amplified light generated by the SOA or the backup SOA. Examples can include multiple lanes, each lane having an SOA, and each backup SOA being usable by one lane or two adjacent lanes.
Claims20
An optical transmitter, comprising:
- at least one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to receive light and amplify the light to generate amplified light;
- at least one backup SOA configured to receive light and amplify the light to generate backup amplified light;
- at least one SOA input switch for selectively routing light toward either of the at least one SOA or the backup SOA;
- and
- at least one output configured to output the amplified light generated by the at least one SOA or the backup amplified light generated by the at least one backup SOA.
A system, comprising:
- at least one laser for generating light;
- at least one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to receive the light and amplify the light to generate amplified light;
- at least one backup SOA configured to receive light and amplify the light to generate backup amplified light;
- at least one SOA input switch for selectively routing light toward either of the at least one SOA or the backup SOA;
- and
- at least one output configured to output the amplified light generated by the at least one SOA or the backup amplified light generated by the at least one backup SOA.
A method, comprising:
- at least one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), amplifying light to generate amplified light;
- detecting optical power of the amplified light generated by the at least one SOA;
- and
- in response to detecting that the optical power of the amplified light generated by the at least one SOA is below an optical power threshold, routing light through a backup SOA instead of the at least one SOA;
- at the backup SOA, amplifying the light to generate backup amplified light;
- and
- outputting the backup amplified light generated by the backup SOA from at least one output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.