Patent ID: 7555220

Claim:
An optical device comprising: a semiconductor chip; a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) provided on the semiconductor chip; an input/output configured to receive a multiplexed signal comprising a plurality of channel signals, each of the plurality of channels having a respective one of a plurality of wavelengths; a variable optical attenuator (VOA) provided on the semiconductor chip and coupled to said optical amplifier; a chromatic dispersion compensator (CDC) provided on the semiconductor chip and coupled to said variable optical attenuator; and a mirror provided on the semiconductor chip and coupled to said chromatic dispersion compensator, wherein the multiplexed signal is passed, in a first direction, through said semiconductor optical amplifier, said variable optical attenuator and said chromatic dispersion compensator to said mirror, and said mirror being configured to reflect said multiplexed signal in a second direction back through said chromatic dispersion compensator, said variable optical attenuator and said optical amplifier to said input output.