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US 9,559,487 B2Granted
Integrated high-power tunable laser with adjustable outputs
AssigneeAcacia Communications, Inc.
InventorChristopher Doerr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tunable laser that includes an array of parallel optical amplifiers is described. The laser may also include an intracavity N×M coupler that couples power between a cavity mirror and the array of parallel optical amplifiers. Phase adjusters in optical paths between the N×M coupler and the optical amplifiers can be used to adjust an amount of power output from M−1 ports of the N×M coupler. A tunable wavelength filter is incorporated in the laser cavity to select a lasing wavelength.
Claims21
A laser having a laser cavity comprising:
- a first reflector at a first end of the laser cavity;
- an intracavity N×M coupler arranged to receive light from the first reflector at a first port and distribute the light to N output ports, where N and M are both greater than 1;
- Q optical amplifiers arranged to amplify light from at least some of the N output ports to produce amplified light, where Q≧2;
- and
- at least one second reflector arranged to reflect the amplified light back to the N×M coupler, wherein the first reflector is located on a first photonic integrated circuit chip that includes a coherent optical receiver and an optical modulator arranged to receive power from the laser and the at least one second reflector is located on a second chip.
2 more elements
A method of generating coherent light, the method comprising:
- reflecting light from a first reflector located on a first photonic integrated circuit chip;
- distributing the light, with an N×M coupler, to N optical paths, where N and M are both greater than 1;
- producing amplified light by amplifying light in at least some of the N optical paths with Q optical amplifiers, where Q ≧2;
- returning the amplified light to the N×M coupler and first reflector with at least one second reflector located on a second chip;
- receiving power from the N×M coupler at a coherent optical receiver located on the first photonic integrated circuit chip;
- and
- receiving power from the N×M coupler at an optical modulator located on the first photonic integrated circuit chip.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.