Patent ID: 9654249
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: H04B,H04J

Claim:
1. A wavelength converter, comprising: a signal down-converter configured to down-convert an optical signal of a first wavelength into a plurality of amplitudes and phases and which includes a polarization-diverse optical mixer configured to separate an incoming input signal into a plurality of split portions of amplitudes and phases while maintaining polarization information, a photo-diode configured to convert each amplitude or phase into a photo-current, and an amplifier configured to convert each photo-current into a voltage, wherein the down-converter generates down-converted signals (I X ′, Q X ′, I Y ′, Q Y ′) with relation to an original signal (I X , Q X , I Y , Q Y ) with a local oscillator (LO) laser tuned to an incoming signal wavelength λ1 as: where ω is frequency, i is the imaginary number, φ is an angle of difference between a signal's orientation of polarization and an integrated coherent receiver (ICR) and polarities of an optical modulator bias are maintained to ensure signal phases are either both fixed or flipped in X or Y polarization to ensure correct wavelength conversion; and a signal up-converter configured to modulate split portions of amplitudes and phases optical signal of the first wavelength to a second wavelength and then combine the down-converted modulated optical signal into an output optical signal of a second wavelength while maintaining the polarization information of the original signal and which includes a modulator that is configured to modulate the amplitudes and phases to the second wavelength.