Patent ID: 8396375
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. An integrated semiconductor-based apparatus for a colorless demodulator and detector (CDD), for wavelength-agnostic data reception of frequency shift keyed signals in optical networks, said colorless demodulator and detector (CDD) comprising: a partially reflective facet (RINT) arranged to receive an incident optical signal containing data which is frequency shift key modulated in its optical frequency, wherein the frequency shift key modulated data has a first frequency corresponding to a first logical value, and a second frequency corresponding to a second logical value, wherein the first and second frequencies are different, and wherein the first and second logical values are different; a semiconductor optical amplifier (DAMP) arranged after said partially reflective facet (RINT) to i) receive and demodulate the incident optical signal once the incident optical signal has traversed the partially reflective facet (RINT) and ii) to generate a demodulated optical signal, wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier generates gain according to a comb periodic transfer function having a maxima and a minima, and wherein the maxima of the transfer function corresponds to the first frequency and the first logical value, and the minima of the transfer function corresponds to the second frequency and the second logical value; a semiconductor optical modulator (DET, RDR) acting at least as a photo detector and arranged after said semiconductor optical amplifier (DAMP) to receive and detect the demodulated optical signal once the demodulated optical signal has traversed the semiconductor optical amplifier (DAMP); and a high reflective facet (HRC) arranged after the semiconductor optical modulator (DET, RDR) to receive the demodulated optical signal once the demodulated optical signal has traversed the semiconductor optical modulator acting as a photo detector (DET, RDR), wherein said partially reflective facet (RINT) and said high reflective facet (HRC) create an optical cavity around the semiconductor optical amplifier (DAMP) and the semiconductor optical modulator (DET, RDR), wherein said partially reflective facet (RINT), said semiconductor optical amplifier (DAMP), said semiconductor optical modulator (DET, RDR) and said high reflective facet (HRC) are all of them integrated into a semiconductor-based device constituting said colorless demodulator and detector (CDD), for demodulating and detecting the incident optical signal, wherein the periodic transfer function has a free spectral range (FSR) determined by the optical length of the colorless demodulator and detector (CDD).