A high-speed signal transceiving system and method based on an optical full-differential transmission mode

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of optical communication network system architecture, modulator chip design, photodetector chip design and electrical interconnection chip design, and specifically discloses a high-speed signal transceiving system and method based on an optical full-differential transmission mode. The system comprises a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential optical fiber pair and a differential photoelectric receiving unit. The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is used for modulating a differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmitting the differential optical signal through the differential optical fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit is used for photoelectrically converting the differential optical signal received through the differential optical fiber pair into a differential electrical signal. The application can be compatible with the most common single-arm modulator-based differential optical signal transmission, and can reduce the difficulty of modulator design and processing from the bottom architecture. At the receiving end, only two photodetectors are needed to realize the subtraction of differential information in the electrical domain, and a more complex balanced detector does not need to be introduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical fields of optical communication network system architecture, modulator chip design, photodetector chip design and electrical interconnect chip design, and in particular to a high-speed signal transceiver system and method based on optical fully differential transmission. Background Technology

[0002] In modern optical communication, transmission rate is crucial. However, in the core stage of photoelectric conversion, due to differences in device characteristics and design, certain mismatches exist in the integration of optoelectronic chips. The most significant issue is that electrical chips typically employ differential designs, while optical chips ultimately complete transmission and reception in the form of a single signal output. This mismatch between driving and transmission methods in optical communication systems, especially in current ultra-high-speed transmission, results in wasted area, power consumption, and transmission efficiency. Therefore, achieving differential electro-optical and photoelectric conversion of optoelectronic information is crucial for current optical communication systems. This invention relates to the fields of optical communication and optical signal processing, aiming to provide a fully differential electro-optical conversion transmission and fully differential optoelectronic receiving system and transmission method. This primarily addresses the problem of output mismatch in optoelectronic chip design in existing technologies, and can be used to improve the performance of optical communication systems and optimize optical signal processing.

[0003] However, in the design of optical transceiver chips, although differential driving of electro-optic modulators can be achieved through special design, in practical applications, most electro-optic modulators, especially lithium niobate Mach-Zehnder, micro-ring modulators and electro-absorption modulators, still adopt a single-arm driving architecture. The fundamental reason for this is that, in addition to the complex active region structure introduced by the differential architecture, it also brings a series of problems such as extremely high process manufacturing difficulty and different bias voltages for the two arms. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One technical problem this invention aims to solve is to collaboratively design an electrical interconnect chip based on differential signals with a high-speed optical device to achieve differential output transmission and differential input reception of optical signals, forming an optical fully differential transmission system. This solves the problem that most modulator devices require single-end driving while most driver chips are designed for differential output when transmitting high-speed optoelectronic signals. It also solves the problem that additional circuit modules are needed at the receiving end to convert the signal into differential form.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a high-speed signal transceiver system based on optical fully differential transmission, comprising: a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential fiber pair, and a differential optoelectronic receiving unit; The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is used to modulate the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmit it through the differential optical fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit is used to photoelectrically convert the differential optical signal received through the differential optical fiber into a differential electrical signal.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the differential electro-optic emitting unit includes: a differential driver, a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators. The differential electro-optic emitting unit loads the differential electrical signal to be modulated onto the optical domain via the differential driver, the laser, and the pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the paired electro-optic modulators comprise two single-ended electro-optic modulators.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the paired electro-optic modulators are: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators forming a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators forming a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators forming a matched differential driving chip.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the differential photoelectric receiving unit includes: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier. The differential photoelectric receiving unit receives the differential optical signal, which is then converted into a photoelectric signal by the pair of photodetectors and the differential transimpedance amplifier.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, it further includes: a pair of grating couplers or end-face couplers; The paired grating couplers or end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair, for inputting differential optical signals from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating couplers or end-face couplers are also disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair, for outputting differential optical signals from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

[0011] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a high-speed signal transceiver method based on optical fully differential transmission, including: The system includes a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential fiber pair, and a differential optoelectronic receiving unit. The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is sequentially connected to the differential fiber pair and the differential photoelectric receiving unit, so that the differential electro-optical transmitting unit modulates the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmits it through the differential fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit photoelectrically converts the differential optical signal received through the differential fiber pair into a differential electrical signal.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the differential electro-optic emitting unit is configured to include: a differential driver, a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators, such that the differential electrical signal to be modulated is loaded onto the optical domain via the differential driver, the laser, and the pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence. The paired electro-optic modulators are configured as follows: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators forming a matched differential driving chip; an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators forming a matched differential driving chip; or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators forming a matched differential driving chip.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the differential photoelectric receiving unit is configured to include: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier, such that the received differential optical signal passes through the pair of photodetectors and is then converted into photoelectric signals by the differential transimpedance amplifier.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, it further includes: Set up paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers to adapt to differential optical signal transmission and reception; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair to input the differential optical signal from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair to output the differential optical signal from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

[0015] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention has the advantages of high speed, high efficiency, low power consumption and scalability, and is suitable for ultra-high speed optoelectronic transmission and communication systems, especially in fields such as intelligent computing center switching networks and high-speed interfaces where there is an urgent need for data transmission capacity.

[0016] Without introducing complex active region architecture and waveguide design, this invention can be compatible with the most common single-arm modulator-based differential optical signal transmission, reducing the difficulty of modulator design and fabrication from the underlying architecture.

[0017] At the receiving end, this invention only requires two photodetectors to achieve the subtraction of differential information in the electrical domain, without the need to introduce more complex balance detectors.

[0018] In the optoelectronic receiver, the present invention uses differential optical signal input, eliminating the need for single-ended to differential converter (S2D) and DC offset cancellation (DCOC) circuit modules, thus further saving power consumption and area.

[0019] This invention enables seamless switching between single-ended and differential driving without requiring additional settings or overhead. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a high-speed signal transceiver system and method based on optical fully differential transmission, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of the present invention in the field of optical communication. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The detailed description and technical content of the present invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] In the design of electrical interconnect chips, most designs employ differential structures. These chips offer advantages such as stronger anti-interference capabilities (suppressing common-mode noise), lower dependence on reference ground levels, more precise timing, and lower EMI. However, in optical device design, single-ended architectures are more prevalent. Especially with the further increase in transmission rates, new electro-optical conversion devices, such as lithium niobate modulators, micro-ring modulators, and electro-absorption modulators, often adopt single-arm drive or receiver architectures. While these architectures are simpler, the different output methods of optoelectronic chips present greater integration challenges. The current common practice is to use additional circuit modules in electro-optical conversion to convert the signal to differential before driving single-ended optical devices, or to add additional circuit modules in electro-optical reception to convert the received signal to differential before outputting it to subsequent processing stages. This approach not only wastes circuit area, power consumption, and conversion efficiency, but also increases the link burden in high-speed transmission applications due to the use of additional components, making it difficult to increase bandwidth.

[0024] This invention employs a high-speed electrical driver chip with a differential architecture at the transmitting end, simultaneously driving two single-arm optical devices and transmitting the two optical output signals as a pair of optical signals. Similarly, at the receiving end, the pair of optical signals is used as input, received via a differential transimpedance amplifier, ultimately achieving differential signal reception in the electrical domain. This realizes the transmission and reception of electrical differential signals from the optical domain to the electrical domain. This invention resolves the conflict between the requirement for single-ended driving of most modulator devices and the differential output design of most driver chips in high-speed optoelectronic signal transmission. It also resolves the contradiction of needing additional circuit modules at the receiving end to convert the signal into differential form. It offers advantages such as high speed, high efficiency, low power consumption, and scalability, making it suitable for ultra-high-speed optoelectronic transmission and communication systems, particularly in fields such as intelligent computing center switching networks and high-speed interfaces where data transmission capacity is urgently needed.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a high-speed signal transceiver system based on optical fully differential transmission, comprising: a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential fiber pair, and a differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

[0026] The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is used to modulate the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmit it through the differential optical fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit is used to photoelectrically convert the differential optical signal received through the differential optical fiber into a differential electrical signal.

[0027] In some embodiments, the differential electro-optical transmitting unit includes: a differential driver (DRV), a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators. The differential electro-optical transmitting unit loads the differential electrical signal to be modulated onto the optical domain via the differential driver (DRV), the laser, and the pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence. After completing a rapid electro-optic conversion, the signal is transmitted through a differential fiber pair (pair of optical fibers) to realize the transmission of differential optical signals.

[0028] In some embodiments, the differential photoelectric receiving unit includes: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier. The differential photoelectric receiving unit receives the differential optical signal, which is then converted into a voltage signal by the differential transimpedance amplifier after passing through the pair of photodetectors. The differentially designed transimpedance amplifier further converts the signal into a voltage signal by differential amplification and outputs it to the subsequent chip, thereby realizing the demodulation of information from light to electricity.

[0029] In some embodiments, the paired electro-optic modulators include two single-ended electro-optic modulators, such as Mach-Zehnder modulators, micro-ring modulators, or electroabsorption modulators.

[0030] In some embodiments, the paired electro-optic modulators are: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators in a matched differential driving chip, etc.

[0031] In some embodiments, it further includes: a pair of grating couplers or a pair of edge couplers adapted for differential optical signal transmission and reception; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair, and are used to input differential optical signals from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating coupler or paired end face coupler is also disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair, for outputting differential optical signals from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

[0032] In this invention, both the driver chip and the transimpedance amplifier chip in the transceiver unit are differential structures. In particular, the differential transimpedance amplifier chip abandons the traditional single-ended input structure. Therefore, the design does not require a single-ended to differential circuit module or a DC offset cancellation circuit module, which can further save power consumption. At the same time, with the help of fully differential amplification technology, better suppression of common-mode noise can be achieved.

[0033] Furthermore, in the design of photodetectors, the detection and reception of two pairs of optical signals can be completed without the need for a balanced detector design, avoiding complex active region design of the detector, which can further reduce capacitance and increase the bandwidth of the bandwidth detector.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the system and method of this invention are mainly applied in the field of optical communication, such as interconnection networks for data centers or high-performance computing systems. By employing this invention, the high bandwidth advantage of modulators such as lithium niobate can be maximized at the transmitting end, while differential signal reception can be achieved at the receiving end using only two pairs of photodetectors, avoiding the use of complex balanced detectors and further improving the efficiency of information transmission and reception.

[0035] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention also provide a high-speed signal transceiver method based on optical fully differential transmission, comprising: The system includes a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential fiber pair, and a differential optoelectronic receiving unit. The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is sequentially connected to the differential fiber pair and the differential photoelectric receiving unit, so that the differential electro-optical transmitting unit modulates the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmits it through the differential fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit photoelectrically converts the differential optical signal received through the differential fiber pair into a differential electrical signal.

[0036] In some embodiments, the differential electro-optic emitting unit is configured to include: a differential driver, a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators, such that the differential electrical signal to be modulated is loaded onto the optical domain via the differential driver, the laser, and the pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence. The paired electro-optic modulators are configured as follows: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators in a matched differential driving chip, etc.

[0037] In some embodiments, the differential photoelectric receiving unit is configured to include: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier, such that the received differential optical signal passes through the pair of photodetectors and is then converted into photoelectric signals by the differential transimpedance amplifier.

[0038] In some embodiments, it also includes: Set up paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers to adapt to differential optical signal transmission and reception; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair to input the differential optical signal from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair to output the differential optical signal from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

[0039] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments for fully illustrating the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-speed signal transceiver system based on optical fully differential transmission, characterized in that, include: Differential electro-optical transmitting unit, differential fiber pair and differential optoelectronic receiving unit; The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is used to modulate the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmit it through the differential optical fiber pair. The differential photoelectric receiving unit is used to photoelectrically convert the received differential optical signal through the differential optical fiber into a differential electrical signal. The differential electro-optic emitting unit includes: a differential driver, a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators. The differential electro-optic emitting unit loads the differential electrical signal to be modulated onto the optical domain via the differential driver, laser, and pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence. The differential photoelectric receiving unit includes: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier. The differential photoelectric receiving unit receives the differential optical signal, which is then converted into a photoelectric signal by the pair of photodetectors and the differential transimpedance amplifier. The paired electro-optic modulators include: two single-ended electro-optic modulators; The paired electro-optic modulators are: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators forming a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators forming a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators forming a matched differential driving chip.

2. The system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are compatible with differential optical signal transceiver. The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair, and are used to input differential optical signals from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating coupler or paired end face coupler is also disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair, for outputting differential optical signals from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

3. A high-speed signal transceiver method based on optical fully differential transmission, characterized in that, include: The system includes a differential electro-optical transmitting unit, a differential fiber pair, and a differential optoelectronic receiving unit. The differential electro-optical transmitting unit is sequentially connected to the differential fiber pair and the differential photoelectric receiving unit, so that the differential electro-optical transmitting unit modulates the differential electrical signal to be modulated into a differential optical signal and then transmits it out through the differential fiber pair, and the differential photoelectric receiving unit photoelectrically converts the differential optical signal received through the differential fiber pair into a differential electrical signal. The differential electro-optic emitting unit is configured to include: a differential driver, a laser, and a pair of electro-optic modulators, such that the differential electrical signal to be modulated is loaded onto the optical domain via the differential driver, laser, and the pair of electro-optic modulators connected in sequence. The paired electro-optic modulators are configured as follows: an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended Mach-Zehnder modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended micro-ring modulators in a matched differential driving chip, or an electro-optic modulator pair consisting of two single-ended electroabsorption modulators in a matched differential driving chip. The differential photoelectric receiving unit is configured to include: a pair of photodetectors and a differential transimpedance amplifier, such that the received differential optical signal passes through the pair of photodetectors and is then converted into photoelectric signal by the differential transimpedance amplifier.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: Set up paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers to adapt to differential optical signal transmission and reception; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential electro-optical transmitting unit and the differential fiber pair to input the differential optical signal from the differential electro-optical transmitting unit to the differential fiber pair; The paired grating couplers or paired end-face couplers are disposed between the differential optoelectronic receiving unit and the differential fiber pair to output the differential optical signal from the differential fiber pair to the differential optoelectronic receiving unit.

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