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;
• 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 optical outputs O1-O4 are direct optical outputs of the PIC chip.