Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer Band Division Microring Radius
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing optical add/drop multiplexer technologies face challenges in achieving a tunable range of resonance wavelength for microring resonators, requiring a small microring radius that increases manufacturing complexity and reduces stability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an optical add/drop multiplexer apparatus with a band division manner, using multiple microring filters with different resonance wavelengths to reduce the free spectral range requirement, allowing for a larger microring radius and simplifying the manufacturing process, and incorporating tunable couplers and grating couplers to adjust the resonance wavelengths and filter states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a small microring radius is used to achieve a large free spectral range covering the full C band, then the tunable range of resonance wavelength is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirement becomes extremely high and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the full C band into multiple sub-bands, with each microring filter responsible for a specific sub-band. This segmentation allows each microring to have a larger radius and smaller free spectral range, reducing manufacturing precision requirements while collectively covering the full C band through the array of microrings.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a small microring radius is used to obtain a large free spectral range, then the tunable range is improved, but the stability and reliability of microring manufacturing process deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the C band into multiple sub-bands and assigning each to a separate microring filter, the patent enables each microring to have a larger radius. This improves manufacturing reliability and stability while the collective array maintains the full C band coverage capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a small microring radius is used to achieve a large free spectral range, then the FSR requirement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the C band coverage task across multiple microring filters with larger radii. While the number of devices increases, each individual microring has simpler fabrication requirements and better manufacturing yield, potentially reducing overall system complexity in terms of manufacturing and deployment.
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
This approach reduces the manufacturing difficulty and improves the reliability of the optical add/drop multiplexer by allowing a larger microring radius, enhancing stability and flexibility in wavelength tuning while maintaining efficient signal filtering.
Implementation Method 1
the effective refractive index of the microring waveguide in the MRR is changed by using a thermo-optic effect or an electro-optic effect
Implementation Method 2
the effective refractive index of the microring waveguide in the MRR is changed by using a thermo-optic effect or an electro-optic effect
Implementation Method 3
a grating coupler... to adjust the resonance wavelengths and filter states
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)
AI summary
An optical add/drop multiplexer apparatus and a control method thereof are provided, to reduce a radius requirement of a microring by using a band division manner, reduce manufacturing difficulty of a microring filter, and improve reliability of the optical add/drop multiplexer apparatus. The optical add/drop multiplexer apparatus includes a filter unit, a waveband multiplexer/demultiplexer unit, an input port, an output port, a drop port, and/or an add port. The filter unit includes a plurality of microring filters, and the filter unit is connected to the waveband multiplexer/demultiplexer unit. The waveband multiplexer/demultiplexer unit is configured to input, based on wavelength of one or more input optical signals, the one or more input optical signals into a microring filter corresponding to a band to which the one or more input optical signals belong. One band corresponds to at least one microring filter, and each microring filter has a different resonance wavelength. The filter unit is configured to couple a target optical signal from the input port to the drop port, and/or couple the target optical signal from the add port to the output port. The target optical signal is an optical signal whose wavelength is equal to a resonance wavelength of the microring filter in the input optical signal.