Wavelength-Multiplexed Optical Transmission for Offset-Free Coherent Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical communication systems require high precision lasers due to frequency offsets, leading to increased costs and power consumption, especially in short-distance applications.
Innovation Solution
An optical transmission device utilizing multiple lasers of different wavelengths for multiplexing and power splitting, allowing coherent detection without frequency offset, reducing precision requirements and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high precision lasers are used to maintain frequency synchronization, then coherent detection accuracy is improved, but device cost and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single laser source into multiple independent laser sources operating at different wavelengths. Each laser generates continuous light independently, which is then multiplexed together. This segmentation allows the system to avoid using a single high-precision laser, thereby reducing cost while maintaining detection accuracy through the combined signal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter by using multiple lasers with different wavelengths instead of a single laser. This parameter change enables the system to achieve frequency diversity, where the receiver can detect signals from multiple wavelength channels, maintaining coherent detection accuracy without requiring each individual laser to have extremely high precision
2Measurement precision
If high precision lasers are used to maintain frequency synchronization, then coherent detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power consumption across multiple lower-power lasers instead of using one high-power precision laser. Each laser operates at a lower power level, and their combined output achieves the required signal strength for coherent detection, thereby reducing total power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of continuous light at different wavelengths from multiple laser sources. These copies are multiplexed and transmitted together, allowing the receiver to perform coherent detection on the combined signal, achieving the same detection accuracy with distributed lower-power sources
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple lasers of different wavelengths are used for multiplexing, then laser precision requirements are reduced and costs decrease, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple optical paths carrying different wavelength signals into a single multiplexed optical path using optical path components. This combining process integrates the multiple laser outputs into one unified transmission channel, managing the complexity through systematic merging rather than handling separate channels independently
4Ease of manufacture
If multiple lasers of different wavelengths are used for multiplexing, then laser precision requirements are reduced and costs decrease, but the system requires more lasers to increase power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the optical power from multiple laser sources through multiplexing. The power splitting and combining operations ensure that the total optical output power is the sum of individual laser powers, allowing the system to achieve high output power by simply adding more lower-cost lasers rather than using fewer high-power lasers
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
The solution lowers laser precision requirements and reduces overall costs, especially in short-distance transmission, the sharp increase in costs is controlled by increasing the quantity of lasers, and power consumption increases linearly, effectively managing costs and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
perform multiplexing on continuous light of different wavelengths emitted by the plurality of first lasers
Implementation Method 2
perform power splitting to obtain two paths of continuous light
Implementation Method 3
modulate the first analog signal onto the path of continuous light sent by the first optical path component, to obtain signal light
Implementation Method 4
The continuous light is used as local oscillator light to perform coherent detection on the signal light and convert an optical signal into an electrical signal
Data Source
AI summary
A first optical transmission device includes a plurality of first lasers having a different corresponding wavelength, a first optical path component, a first modulator, and a first processor portion. The plurality of first lasers is connected to a plurality of optical input ports of the first optical path component respectively. The first optical path component is configured to perform multiplexing on continuous light of different wavelengths emitted by the plurality of first lasers, and perform power splitting of multiplexed continuous light thereby obtaining two paths of continuous light, send a first path of continuous light to the first modulator, and send a second path of continuous light to a second optical transmission device at a peer end. The first processor portion is configured to send a first analog signal to the first modulator. The first modulator is configured to at least modulate the first analog signal onto the first path.