Optical Transceiver AMZ Demultiplexer for Uniform Wavelength Spacing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical transceivers face challenges in efficiently utilizing frequency resources while maintaining uniform wavelength spacing for subcarrier transmission, leading to increased size and cost due to the need for multiple wavelength monitors or lockers for each laser element.
Innovation Solution
An optical transceiver design incorporating a demultiplexer with cascaded asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers and integrated monitors, coupled with a wavelength controller, controls oscillation wavelengths of multiple light source elements to achieve uniform frequency spacing without individual wavelength lockers, using feedback from demultiplexer monitoring results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple wavelength monitors or lockers are provided for each laser element to control wavelength spacing, then uniform wavelength spacing is achieved, but the size and cost of the optical transceiver increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple wavelength monitoring functions into a single integrated monitor that receives combined light from multiple laser elements. Instead of having separate monitors for each laser element, the system merges the monitoring function into one shared component, reducing the number of monitors needed while maintaining wavelength control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single monitor is designed to perform multiple wavelength monitoring functions simultaneously. It receives light from multiple laser elements and provides wavelength information for controlling spacing between multiple wavelengths, making one monitor serve the function of what would traditionally require multiple separate monitors.
2Productivity
If dense WDM with narrow wavelength spacing is implemented to increase communication capacity, then frequency utilization efficiency is improved, but the difficulty of controlling uniform wavelength spacing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback control mechanism where the monitor detects wavelength information from multiple laser elements, and this information is fed back to control circuits that adjust the laser elements to maintain uniform wavelength spacing. This closed-loop feedback enables precise control of dense wavelength spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitor acts as an intermediary that bridges the laser elements and the control system. It receives light from multiple laser elements, extracts wavelength information, and provides this information to the control circuits, facilitating the control of uniform wavelength spacing without requiring direct complex interactions between laser elements.
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 enhances frequency utilization efficiency and reduces the size and cost of optical transceivers by maintaining uniform wavelength spacing through parallel control of light source elements and demultiplexer transmission characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
three asymmetric Mach-Zehnder (AMZ) interferometers having the same arm length difference are connected
Data Source
AI summary
An optical transceiver includes: an optical transceiver circuit; a light source device to multiplex light rays emitted from light source elements having different wavelengths, and output multiplexed light; a demultiplexer to demultiplex the light output from the light source device into wavelengths to supply the wavelengths to the optical transceiver circuit; monitors to monitor the wavelengths at output ports of the demultiplexer, respectively; and a wavelength controller to control the wavelengths of the light source elements, based on monitoring results of the monitors, wherein the demultiplexer includes unit circuits in each of which three asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers having a predetermined arm length difference are cascaded in a tree shape, and each of the monitors is arranged at an output waveguide of an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer at an end of the cascaded tree, to be connected to the wavelength controller via a signal line.