Patent ID: 9735542
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: H01S

Claim:
1. An optical source, comprising: a semiconductor optical amplifier, defined in a semiconductor, having a first edge and a second edge, wherein the semiconductor includes one of: a III-V semiconductor, erbium and germanium, wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier includes a reflective coating on the first edge, and wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to provide an optical signal at the second edge; and a photonic chip optically coupled to the semiconductor optical amplifier, wherein the photonic chip includes: an optical waveguide configured to convey the optical signal; a pair of ring-resonator modulators, optically coupled to the optical waveguide, configured to modulate the optical signal, wherein the optical signal is shared between the pair of ring-resonator modulators using the optical waveguide, wherein a wavelength of the optical signal may be determined by a resonance of the pair of ring-resonator-modulators so that the resonance of the pair of ring-resonator modulators does not need to be aligned with the wavelength of the optical signal, and wherein the pair of ring-resonator modulators are not phase modulated; and a reflector optically coupled to an end of the optical waveguide, wherein the pair of ring-resonator modulators is included within an optical cavity defined by the reflective coating and the reflector, and wherein the pair of ring-resonator modulators modulate reflectivity of the reflector and a resulting output power of the optical signal.