Integrated opto-electronic wavelength converter assembly
AssigneeAgility Communications, Inc.
InventorLarry Coldren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wavelength converter assembly includes a substrate. An epitaxial structure is formed on the substrate with areas of different optical properties. A laser and a photodetector are formed in the epitaxial structure. The photodetector generates a first electrical signal in response to an optical signal. A conditioning circuit is coupled to the laser and the photodetector. The conditioning circuit receives the first electrical signal and provides a second electrical signal to the laser to modulate its optical output.
Claims61
A monolithically-integrated wavelength converter assembly, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- an epitaxial structure formed on the substrate with areas of different optical properties;
- a widely-runable multisection laser formed in the epitaxial structure and having a gain medium;
- a photodetector formed in the epitaxial structure and having an optically active absorber region that absorbs an input optical signal of a first wavelength and generates a first electrical signal in response thereto;
- and
- a conditioning circuit formed on the substrate, the conditioning circuit coupled to the gain medium of the laser and the optically active absorber region of the photodetector, the conditioning circuit receiving the first electrical signal from the photodetector and generating a second electrical signal to the laser in response thereto, wherein the second electrical signal is provided to the laser to modulate its output optical signal a second wavelength.
A monolithically-integrated wavelength converter assembly, comprising:
- a first semiconductor layer in an epitaxial structure;
- a second semiconductor layer formed in the epitaxial structure, the first and second semiconductor layers having different dopings;
- a widely-tunable multisection laser including a waveguide layer formed between the first and second semiconductor layers, the waveguide layer including a first reflector and a second reflector,
- the laser including an optically active gain medium disposed between the first and second reflectors, the first and second reflectors defining a resonant cavity for generating an output optical signal;
- a photodetector formed on the first semiconductor layer including an optically active absorber region that absorbs an input optical signal of a first wavelength and generate a first electrical signal in response thereto;
- and
- a conditioning circuit coupled to the optically active gain medium of the laser and the optically active absorber region of the photodetector, the conditioning circuit receiving the first electrical signal from the optically active absorber region and generating a second electrical signal to the optically active gain medium in response thereto, wherein the second electrical signal is provide to the optically active gain medium to modulate the output optical signal at a second wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.