Patent ID: 9425919
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: H04B,H04J

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling a thermal regime in an optical modulator system, comprising: providing an optical modulator system comprising: a plurality of input stages, each input stage of said plurality of input stages configured to operate at an optical wavelength distinct from the optical wavelengths of operation of the others of said plurality of input stages, each input stage comprising, an optical input port configured to receive a light having a distinct optical wavelength from a laser, a first modulator configured to modulate said light having a distinct optical wavelength with information carried by a modulation signal to produce a modulated light signal on said distinct optical wavelength as a carrier wavelength, and a filter multiplexer configured to add said modulated light signal on said distinct optical wavelength as a carrier wavelength onto an optical bus configured to carry at least two light signals having different carrier wavelengths; in at least one of said plurality of input stages a first signal splitter situated between said optical input port and said first modulator and a first optical detector configured to receive optical illumination from said first signal splitter; a second signal splitter situated between said first modulator and said filter multiplexer; and a second optical detector configured to receive optical illumination from said second signal splitter; and a third optical detector configured to receive optical illumination at a location beyond said filter multiplexer; in a respective one of said plurality of input stages, observing the photocurrents on the first and second optical detectors; tuning a thermal tuner on said first modulator to achieve a desired ratio of photocurrents in said first optical detector and said second optical detector; and thereafter, tuning a thermal tuner on said filter multiplexer to minimize a photocurrent in said third optical detector, thereby maintaining operation of said optical modulator system over a range of temperatures.