Integrated optical chip and method of using the same, integrated optical system

Abstract

The present invention provides an integrated optical chip for use in the field of optical signal transmission, including at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, at least one output device, a cutting line, and an optical waveguide, wherein the input end of the transmission channel is connected to the input device, the output end of the transmission channel is connected to the output device, and the cutting line couples the at least one input device and the at least one output device to the optical waveguide, with at least one input device, at least one output device, or at least one transmission channel as the minimum cutting unit.By unifying the production specifications of the integrated optical chip, the present invention eliminates the need to design different circuit layouts according to the requirements of different ports, and can adapt to different application needs by cutting unused devices on the integrated optical chip according to the cutting line as actual needs.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of integrated circuits, and more particularly to an integrated optical chip and its use, and an integrated optical system applied in the field of optical signal transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] Multi-channel photonic integrated circuits are widely applied in the field of optical technology, and the channels on the multi-channel photonic integrated circuit can carry optical signals of a common wavelength separated from a shared light source, or can carry optical signals of different wavelengths separated from one or more light sources. In conventional multi-channel photonic integrated circuit designs, the layout structure of the ports on each integrated circuit is custom designed based on the required number and structure of optical signal input ports and optical signal output ports, and therefore different layouts need to be manufactured to meet different production needs.

[0003] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated optical chip, a method for using the same, and an integrated optical system applied to the field of optical signal transmission, which standardizes the structure and specifications of multi-channel photonic integrated circuits and produces them, and adapts the same layout to different application needs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated optical chip, a method for using the same, and an integrated optical system applied to the field of optical signal transmission for standardizing and producing the structure and specifications of multi-channel photonic integrated circuits to meet different application needs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an integrated optical chip including at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, at least one output device, at least one cutting line and an optical waveguide, wherein the input end of the transmission channel is connected to the input device, the output end of the transmission channel is connected to the output device, the at least one transmission channel is used to perform processing on optical signals, the cutting line is the smallest cutting unit, with the at least one input device, the at least one output device or the at least one transmission channel, the at least one input device and the at least one output device are used to couple the optical waveguide, transmit optical signals through the optical waveguide, and combine or separate the optical signals.

[0006] The beneficial effect is that the integrated optical chip includes at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, and at least one output device, so that when the order of the transmission channel, the input device, and the output device is equal to or greater than the number and structure of ports that may be used on the optical chip, the production specifications of the integrated optical chip can be unified, and there is no need to design different circuit layouts according to the requirements of different ports. And the cutting line defines at least one input device, at least one output device, or at least one transmission channel as the minimum cutting unit, so that unused input devices, output devices, and transmission channels on the integrated optical chip can be cut according to the cutting line as actual needs, thereby meeting different application needs.

[0007] Optionally, the input device is at least one of a demultiplexer and a spectrometer, and the output device is at least one of a multiplexer and a combiner, which has a beneficial effect in that the input device is at least one of a demultiplexer and a spectrometer, and the output device is at least one of a multiplexer and a combiner, so that the wavelengths of the optical signals separated from the light source can be adapted to processing needs of the same or different wavelengths.

[0008] Alternatively, the input device and the output device can be installed on the same side of the transmission channel, or the input device and the output device can be installed on both sides of the transmission channel, which has the beneficial effect of enabling a more reasonable layout design according to actual needs.

[0009] Still further optionally, the input device is a demultiplexer and the output device is a multiplexer, which has the beneficial effect that the input device is a demultiplexer and the output device is a multiplexer, which can be used to combine or separate optical signals of different wavelengths.

[0010] Further alternatively, the input device is a spectrometer and the output device is a multiplexer, which has a beneficial effect in that the input device is a spectrometer and the output device is a multiplexer, which can be used to combine or separate optical signals of the same wavelength.

[0011] Optionally, the optical waveguide includes at least one of a channel waveguide, a ridge waveguide, a slot waveguide, a diffusion waveguide, and a photonic crystal waveguide, and the beneficial effect is that a suitable optical waveguide can be selected based on actual production needs.

[0012] More preferably, the wavelength range of the optical signal includes at least one of the visible light waveband, the O-waveband, the E-waveband, the S-waveband, the C-waveband, the L-waveband, the U-waveband, and the mid-infrared waveband, which has the beneficial effect of expanding the application range of the integrated optical chip by including the visible light waveband, the O-waveband, the E-waveband, the S-waveband, the C-waveband, the L-waveband, the U-waveband, and the mid-infrared waveband.

[0013] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an integrated optical system including K integrated optical chips according to any one of the first aspect, wherein K is a positive integer, and between adjacent integrated optical chips, at least one output device of one integrated optical chip is electrically connected to at least one input device of another integrated optical chip, thereby realizing transmission of optical signals between the adjacent integrated optical chips.

[0014] The beneficial effect is that the integrated optical system can be applied to applications that require the use of multiple integrated optical chips to improve the integration degree of optical integrated circuits, and can simultaneously pass light through K optical chips during testing to perform batch testing.

[0015] Optionally, the K integrated optical chips are arranged in an array, the beneficial effect of which is that when the K integrated optical chips are arranged in an array, especially in an aligned array structure, the integrated optical chips in the same row or the same column share the same cutting line, thereby simplifying the structural design of the integrated optical system.

[0016] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for using an integrated optical chip, the method comprising: obtaining an integrated optical chip according to any one of the first aspect; determining the input devices and the output devices that need to be used in the integrated optical chip; and cutting out the unused input devices and the unused output devices according to the cutting lines. The beneficial effect is that by cutting out the unused input devices and the unused output devices according to the cutting lines, it is possible to adapt to different actual needs, and there is no need to produce different layouts to match different production needs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an integrated optical chip according to the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of yet another integrated optical chip according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart of a method for using an integrated optical chip according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following describes technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Herein, in describing the embodiments of the present application, the terms used in the following embodiments are intended only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification and appended claims of the present application, the singular forms "a," "the," "the," "the," and "the" are intended to include other forms such as "one or more," unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the following embodiments of the present application, "at least one" and "one or more" refer to one or more (including two). The term "and / or" is used to describe a relationship between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may include three cases: A alone, a combination of A and B, and B alone, where A and B may be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0019] References herein to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in some embodiments" appearing in different places herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise emphasized. The terms "comprise," "contain," "have," and variations thereof mean "including, but not limited to," unless otherwise emphasized. The term "connected" includes direct and indirect connections unless otherwise stated. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance or implicitly denoting the number of technical features indicated.

[0020] In the embodiments of the present application, terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to denote an example, illustration, or explanation. In the embodiments of the present application, any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete manner.

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated optical chip, a method for using the same, and an integrated optical system that are applied to the field of optical signal transmission in order to standardize and produce the structure and specifications of a multi-channel photonic integrated circuit and improve the integration degree of the multi-channel photonic integrated circuit.

[0022] An embodiment of the present application provides an integrated optical chip including at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, at least one output device, at least one cutting line, and an optical waveguide, wherein the input end of the transmission channel is connected to the input device, and the output end of the transmission channel is connected to the output device, and the at least one transmission channel is used to perform processing on optical signals, and the cutting line is the minimum cutting unit, with the at least one input device, the at least one output device, or the at least one transmission channel, and the at least one input device and the at least one output device are used to couple the optical waveguide, transmit optical signals through the optical waveguide, and combine or separate the optical signals. The functions of different transmission channels may be different, and the present application does not limit the specific functions of the transmission channels.

[0023] When multiple input devices and multiple output devices are present, the input devices and the output devices may be arranged in a cascade structure on one or both sides of a transmission channel. Each input device includes at least one input end and at least one output end, where the input end of each input device can input different signals or be connected to different devices, and the output end of each input device can output different signals or be used to connect to different devices or transmission channels. Each output device includes at least one input end or at least one output end, where the input end of each output device can input different signals or be connected to different devices or transmission channels, and the output end of each output device can output different signals or be used to connect to different devices. Because the optical integrated chip of the present application can be used to process different signals, the application scope of the present application includes, but is not limited to, optical sensing, beam steering, optical interconnection, optical computing, etc.

[0024] To introduce the quantitative relationships between input devices, transmission channels and output devices in more detail, an example will now be given.

[0025] Example 1: An input device that is directly connected to a transmission channel is connected to only one transmission channel, and an output device that is directly connected to a transmission channel is connected to only one transmission channel.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the structure of the integrated optical chip includes six input devices, three transmission channels, six output devices, and a number of dividing lines 1. The six input devices are a first input device 101, a second input device 102, a third input device 103, a fourth input device 104, a fifth input device 105, and a sixth input device 106, the three transmission channels are a first transmission channel 107, a second transmission channel 108, and a third transmission channel 109, and the six output devices are a first output device 110, a second output device 111, a third output device 112, a fourth output device 113, a fifth output device 114, and a sixth output device 115. The dividing lines 1 define each input device, each output device, and each transmission channel as a minimum cutting unit. If the actual demand is three input devices and three output devices, the first input device 101, the second input device 102, the third input device 103, the fourth output device 113, the fifth output device 114, and the sixth output device 115 need to be cut out according to the plurality of cutting lines 1 by knife cutting or laser cutting to meet the actual demand. The cutting method of the integrated optical device in actual production is not limited to knife cutting or laser cutting. In some common embodiments, the total number of input devices and output devices is three, six, or twelve.

[0027] Example 2: An input device includes multiple output terminals, and an output device includes multiple input terminals. An input device directly connected to a transmission channel is connected to multiple transmission channels by different output terminals, and an output device directly connected to a transmission channel is connected to multiple transmission channels by different input terminals.

[0028] Specifically, when the input device includes one input end and two output ends and the output device includes two input ends and one output end, the output ends of each input device are used to output different signals or connect to different transmission channels, the input ends of each output device are used to input different signals or connect to different transmission channels, and the output ends of each output device are used to output signals or connect to different output devices. As shown in Figure 2, the integrated optical chip includes a seventh input device 201, an eighth input device 202, a ninth input device 203, a fourth transmission channel 204, a fifth transmission channel 205, a sixth transmission channel 206, a seventh transmission channel 207, a seventh output device 208, an eighth output device 209 and a ninth output device 210. Here, the eighth input device 202, the ninth input device 203, the seventh output device 208 and the eighth output device 209 are respectively connected to different transmission channels, thereby adapting to different signal processing needs.

[0029] The present application provides an integrated optical chip including at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, and at least one output device, so that when the order of the transmission channels, input devices, and output devices is equal to or greater than the number and structure of ports that may be used on the optical chip, the production specifications of the integrated optical chip can be unified, and there is no need to design different circuit layouts according to the requirements of different ports. Furthermore, the plurality of cutting lines defines at least one input device, at least one output device, or at least one transmission channel as the minimum cutting unit, so that unused input devices, output devices, and transmission channels on the integrated optical chip can be cut according to the cutting lines as needed, thereby meeting different application needs.

[0030] In one possible embodiment, the input device is at least one of a demultiplexer (demux) and a splitter, and the output device is at least one of a multiplexer (mux) and a combiner. In this embodiment, the input device is at least one of a demultiplexer and a splitter, and the output device is at least one of a multiplexer and a combiner, thereby adapting to processing needs where the wavelengths of the optical signals separated from the light source are the same or different. That is, the input end of the transmission channel should be connected to at least one of a demultiplexer and a splitter, and the output end of the transmission channel should be connected to at least one of a multiplexer and a combiner.

[0031] In another possible embodiment, the input device and the output device are installed on the same side of the transmission channel, or the input device and the output device are installed on both sides of the transmission channel. In this embodiment, a more reasonable design can be adopted according to actual needs, rather than being limited to one design method.

[0032] In a further possible embodiment, the input device is a demultiplexer and the output device is a multiplexer. In this embodiment, the input device is a demultiplexer and the output device is a multiplexer, used to combine or separate optical signals of different wavelengths.

[0033] In yet another possible embodiment, the input device is a spectrometer and the output device is a multiplexer. In this embodiment, the input device is a spectrometer and the output device is a multiplexer, and is used to combine or separate optical signals with the same wavelength.

[0034] In one possible embodiment, the optical waveguide includes at least one of a channel waveguide, a ridge waveguide, a slot waveguide, a diffusion waveguide, and a photonic crystal waveguide. In this embodiment, different waveguides have different cross-sectional areas, and an appropriate optical waveguide can be selected based on actual production needs.

[0035] In another possible embodiment, the wavelength range of the optical signal includes at least one of the visible light waveband, O-band, E-band, S-band, C-band, L-band, U-band, and mid-infrared waveband. In this embodiment, the wavelength range of the optical signal includes at least one of the visible light waveband, O-band, E-band, S-band, C-band, L-band, U-band, and mid-infrared waveband, thereby expanding the application range of the integrated optical chip.

[0036] Based on the integrated optical chip according to the above embodiment, an embodiment of the present application provides an integrated optical system including K integrated optical chips described in any one of the above embodiments, where K is a positive integer, and between adjacent integrated optical chips, at least one output device of one integrated optical chip is conductive to at least one input device of another integrated optical chip, thereby realizing transmission of optical signals between the adjacent integrated optical chips.

[0037] In this embodiment, the integrated optical system can be applied to applications that require the use of multiple integrated optical chips, so as to improve the integration degree of optical integrated circuits, and can simultaneously pass light through K optical chips during testing to test them all at once.

[0038] In one possible embodiment, the K integrated optical chips are arranged in an array. In this embodiment, when the K integrated optical chips are arranged in an array, especially in an aligned array structure, the integrated optical chips in the same row or column share the same cutting line, which can simplify the structural design of the integrated optical system.

[0039] Based on the optical integrated device according to the above embodiment, the present invention provides a method for using an integrated optical chip, the flow of which is shown in FIG. 3, and the specific steps include:

[0040] S301, obtaining an integrated optical chip according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0041] S302, determining the input devices and the output devices that need to be used in the integrated optical chip, and cutting out the unused input devices and the output devices according to the cutting lines.

[0042] In this embodiment, the idle input device and the idle output device are cut according to the cutting lines, and the cutting method can be knife cutting or laser cutting, but is not limited to these two cutting methods, thereby adapting to different actual needs and eliminating the need to create different layouts to meet different production needs. The actual design direction and format of the cutting lines are not limited to the embodiment and can be specifically set based on actual production needs.

[0043] The integrated optical chip mentioned in any one of the above embodiments can be integrated on a plurality of material platforms including at least one of silicon wafer, silicon-on-insulator, silicon-on-sapphire, silica, indium phosphide, lithium niobate, and polymer.

[0044] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the embodiments of the present application, and the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An integrated optical chip including at least one transmission channel, at least one input device, at least one output device, a cutting line, and an optical waveguide, an input end of the transmission channel is connected to the input device, an output end of the transmission channel is connected to the output device, and at least one of the transmission channels is used to perform processing on an optical signal; The cutting line is formed by dividing at least one input device, at least one output device, or at least one transmission channel into a minimum cutting unit. an integrated optical chip, characterized in that at least one of the input devices and at least one of the output devices are used to couple the optical waveguides, transmit optical signals through the optical waveguides, and combine or separate the optical signals.

2. 2. The integrated optical chip of claim 1, wherein the input device is at least one of a demultiplexer and a spectrometer, and the output device is at least one of a multiplexer and a combiner.

3. 3. The integrated optical chip of claim 2, wherein the input device and the output device are installed on the same side of the transmission channel, or the input device and the output device are installed on both sides of the transmission channel.

4. 4. The integrated optical chip of claim 3, wherein the input device is a demultiplexer and the output device is a multiplexer.

5. 4. The integrated optical chip of claim 3, wherein the input device is a spectrometer and the output device is a combiner.

6. 6. The integrated optical chip according to claim 4, wherein the optical waveguide comprises at least one of a channel waveguide, a ridge waveguide, a slot waveguide, a diffused waveguide, and a photonic crystal waveguide.

7. 7. The integrated optical chip of claim 6, wherein the wavelength range of the optical signal includes at least one of the visible light waveband, the O waveband, the E waveband, the S waveband, the C waveband, the L waveband, the U waveband, and the mid-infrared waveband.

8. An integrated optical system comprising K integrated optical chips according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein K is a positive integer; and between adjacent integrated optical chips, at least one output device of one of the integrated optical chips is electrically connected to at least one input device of another integrated optical chip, thereby realizing transmission of optical signals between the adjacent integrated optical chips.

9. 9. The integrated optical system according to claim 8, wherein the K integrated optical chips are arranged in an array.

10. Obtaining an integrated optical chip according to any one of claims 1 to 7; determining the input devices and output devices that need to be used in the integrated optical chip, and cutting out the unused input devices and output devices according to the cutting lines.

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