Patent ID: 7539418
Filing Date: 2009-05-26
Classification: G02F,H04J

Abstract:
1. An apparatus that facilitates optical multiplexing and demultiplexing, comprising: an optical transmitter; a wavelength-splitting mechanism coupled to the optical transmitter, which separates light wavelengths onto an array of input-optical-waveguide busses within the optical transmitter; an array of ring modulators or nanophotonic resonant structures within the optical transmitter, wherein an input-end of each ring modulator or nanophotonic resonant structure in the array of ring modulators or nanophotonic resonant structures is coupled to a corresponding input-optical-waveguide bus; output-optical-waveguide busses within the optical transmitter, wherein an output-end of each ring modulator or nanophotonic resonant structure in the array of ring modulators or nanophotonic resonant structures is coupled to a corresponding output-optical-waveguide bus; wherein when a modulation signal is applied to a given ring modulator or or nanophotonic resonant structure within the array of ring modulators or nanophotonic resonant structures, a specific wavelength of light is directed to the corresponding output-optical-waveguide bus; an external light source which generates a plurality of wavelengths of light, wherein the external light source comprises a bank of distributed-feedback lasers configured in a dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) optical configuration; an optical multiplexer coupled to the external light source which combines light wavelengths onto a single-mode fiber, wherein the optical multiplexer is a DWDM multiplexer; an optical splitter coupled to the optical multiplexer, which splits the plurality of wavelengths of light into separate beams of light containing all of light wavelengths from the external light source; and optical amplifiers, which boost the optical power of the split beams of light, wherein each optical amplifier is an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, wherein the input of each optical amplifier is coupled to the optical splitter, and wherein the output of each optical amplifier is coupled to the optical transmitter.