Integrated resonator matrix for wavelength-selective separation

Details Integrated resonator matrix for wavelength-selective separation Integrated resonator matrix for wavelength-selective separation

1986-10-14

1989-01-24

Gensler, Paul

350 9615, 350 9614, G02B 610

Patent

active

047997494

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a resonator matrix whose individual resonators are composed of dielectric waveguides mirrored at their end faces and which are integrated such on a substrate that the resonators are optically coupled to different degrees within various levels and between various levels and which meets the object of separating and/or joining a plurality of modulated and unmodulated carriers in the frequency domain of optical communications technology in wavelength-selective fashion. Specific embodiments of the resonator matrix allow the channels in the arrangement in which they are separated and/or joined to also be modulated or to be amplified as well or to also be demodulated and/or converted into electrical signals. Auxiliary electronic circuits and/or further optical elements, for example, further resonator matrices as well, can also be integrated on the same semiconductor substrate as the resonator matrix.
The field of employment of the resonator matrix shall first be set forth:
As a result of the increasing need for transmission bandwidth in cable connections, particularly with the anticipated TV transmission technology, it is appropriate to develop devices which make far more than the present bandwidth of about 1 GHz available on a single glass fiber. Because of the difficulties of processing more than 1 GHz in the semiconductor circuits, proposals have already been made to transmit more than one carrier frequency. When the carriers then lie far apart, for example at 0.85 .mu.m which corresponds to the wavelength of a gallium aluminum-arsenide laser, and at 1.3 .mu.m which corresponds to the wavelength of an indium-phosphide laser, then both frequencies cannot be simultaneously intermediately amplified by a single laser amplifier in the course of the glass fiber cable.
It has therefore already been proposed that the carriers be placed in tight proximity within the relatively small bandwidth of the single laser amplifier. These laser amplifiers, for example a semiconductor injection laser of indium phosphide, can still simultaneously amplify frequency bands of about 10.sup.14 Hz.multidot.10.sup.-3 =100 GHz despite a very small relative bandwidth of about 10.sup.-3.
There are also proposals for the demodulation. As a result of the lower power consumption per channel, the heterodyne methods or homodyne methods known from radio-frequency technology lie at hand, i.e., methods which work with a corresponding carrier addition in a photodiode. In accord with German patent application No. P 32 05 461.0-33, such a photodiode would be advantageously combined with a selective resonator.
Given the inventive realization of the method of modulation and demodulation of many light carriers in very narrow frequency bands to be set forth below, the following situation is also noteworthy:
For stability and cost reasons, the realization of the said optical elements requires a compression of the "light circuit" to the optimally smallest space. For coupling reasons, the appertaining electronic selection and control elements should also have a closely proximate relationship to the "light circuit". A tight, monolithic electro-optical integration which has likewise already been proposed in the literature therefore seems appropriate.
Whereas, however, there have hitherto at least been incomplete proposals for manufacturing the receiver on silicon as base material, there is a practically complete lack of ideas for the realization of a wavelength-selective modulator for many tightly adjacent carriers in the wavelength domain of optical communications technology together with drive circuit. That can be substantiated as follows: Up to now, the modulation has been very successfully realized with the assistance of the injection current in semiconductor lasers. At the same time, that was a very efficient integration of transmitter and modulator. An optical communications transmission system comprising many closely proximate channels which preferably functions with heterodyne or homodyne method, however, raises higher

REFERENCES:
patent: 4592043 (1986-05-01), Williams
patent: 4616898 (1986-10-01), Hicks, Jr.
patent: 4665421 (1987-05-01), Borner et al.

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