External-Laser Co-Packaged Optics for Reconfigurable High-Capacity Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Co-packaged electrical-optical designs for optical communication modules face challenges in implementing reconfigurability and addressing component failures while maintaining low power consumption and high data capacity.
Innovation Solution
An optical sourceless co-packaged architecture that receives light from external laser sub-assemblies, utilizing spatial mode couplers to combine and separate channels, and incorporates heterogeneous PICs with III-V semiconductors and magneto-optic materials for efficient light modulation and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical components are closely integrated with silicon switch in co-packaged architecture, then data capacity and speed are improved, but device complexity and design difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the optical communication functionality into separate modules: external laser sub-assemblies for light generation, spatial mode couplers for beam manipulation, and silicon switch for electrical control. This modular segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining high data capacity through their coordinated integration.
2Use of energy by moving object
If optical components are closely integrated with silicon switch in co-packaged architecture, then power consumption is reduced, but adaptability and reconfigurability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs spatial mode couplers that can dynamically switch between different coupling modes (e.g., fundamental mode to higher order modes and vice versa). This dynamic reconfigurability allows the architecture to adapt to different operational requirements while maintaining close integration that reduces power consumption compared to traditional separate packaging approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The spatial mode couplers serve multiple functions: they combine light beams from different sources, separate beams for routing, and enable mode conversion for different transmission requirements. This multi-functionality within a single integrated component provides adaptability without requiring additional separate components that would increase power consumption.
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed co-packaged design is implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of repair and reconfiguration worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The laser sources are extracted as separate external sub-assemblies rather than being permanently integrated into the silicon switch chip. This allows the laser components to be manufactured with high precision in their own specialized fabrication processes, while also enabling them to be replaced or reconfigured independently if failures occur, without affecting the silicon switch component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reconfigurable optical communication with low power consumption and high data capacity by using external light sources and heterogeneous materials for efficient light conversion and modulation.
Implementation Method 1
separating, using a coupler of the co-packaged optical device, a first beam of light from the first mode and a second beam of light from the second mode
Implementation Method 2
incorporates heterogeneous PICs with III-V semiconductors and magneto-optic materials for efficient light modulation and transmission
Implementation Method 3
incorporates heterogeneous PICs with III-V semiconductors and magneto-optic materials for efficient light modulation and transmission
Data Source
AI summary
A sourceless co-packaged optical-electrical chip can include a plurality of different optical transceivers, each of which can transmit to an external destination or internal components. Each of the transceivers can be configured for a different modulation format, such as different pulse amplitude, phase shift key, and quadrature amplitude modulation formats. Different light sources provide light for processing by the transceivers, where the light source and transceivers can be configured for different applications (e.g., different distances) and data rates. An optical coupler can combine the light for the different transceivers for input into the sourceless co-packaged optical-electrical chip via a polarization maintaining media (e.g., polarization maintaining few mode fiber and polarization maintaining single mode fiber), where another coupler operates in splitting mode to separate the different channels of light for the different transceivers according to different co-packaged configurations.