Tunable Light Source Assembly With Single-Step Optical Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wavelength variable light sources face low productivity due to the time-consuming mounting operations required for separately formed gain chips and semiconductor optical amplifiers on different substrates.
Innovation Solution
A wavelength variable light source configuration where a gain chip and optical amplifier are formed on a first substrate, optically coupled with a wavelength variable block and optical waveguides on a second substrate, allowing for simultaneous mounting and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gain chip and semiconductor optical amplifier are formed on separate substrates and individually mounted, then the wavelength variable light source can achieve proper optical coupling and wavelength selectivity, but the mounting operation time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the gain chip and semiconductor optical amplifier onto a single substrate (first substrate), forming an integrated light source assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting operations for these two components, reducing the total mounting time while maintaining proper optical coupling through the integrated waveguide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gain chip and semiconductor optical amplifier are pre-integrated on the first substrate before mounting to the second substrate. This preliminary integration action ensures that the optical coupling between these components is established in advance, so that when the entire first substrate is mounted to the second substrate, the optical paths are already aligned and no additional alignment operations are needed.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple substrates are individually mounted, then each component can be optimally positioned, but the number of mounting operations increases and assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple components (gain chip, semiconductor optical amplifier, and associated waveguides) are merged into a single integrated first substrate assembly. This reduces the number of separate mounting operations from multiple individual mounts to a single mount operation, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining positioning accuracy through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into two main substrates (first substrate for light source components, second substrate for wavelength variable block), where each substrate is optimized independently but can be mounted as a single unit. This segmentation allows for precise manufacturing of each substrate separately while minimizing the number of mounting operations required for final assembly.
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 configuration reduces the time required for mounting operations, enhancing productivity by enabling a single-step assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
the first optical waveguide and the third optical waveguide are optically coupled to each other and the second optical waveguide and the fourth optical waveguide are optically coupled to each other by mounting the first substrate on the second substrate
Implementation Method 2
a wavelength variable block, a third optical waveguide, and a fourth optical waveguide are formed on a second substrate, the wavelength variable block including a wavelength variable element
Implementation Method 3
a first substrate on which a gain chip and an optical amplifier are formed, the gain chip including a first optical waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
A wavelength variable light source includes: a first substrate on which a gain chip and an optical amplifier are formed, the gain chip including a first optical waveguide and the optical amplifier including a second optical waveguide; and a second substrate on which a wavelength variable block, a third optical waveguide, and a fourth optical waveguide are formed, the wavelength variable block including a wavelength variable element, the third optical waveguide being connected to an input end of the wavelength variable block, and the fourth optical waveguide being connected to an output end of the wavelength variable block, in which the first optical waveguide and the third optical waveguide are optically coupled to each other and the second optical waveguide and the fourth optical waveguide are optically coupled to each other by mounting the first substrate on the second substrate.