Patent ID: 8798476

Claim:
A method for processing signals, the method comprising: in a single laser bidirectional link comprising a transmit CMOS photonics chip, a single laser coupled to an input of the transmit CMOS photonics chip, a receive CMOS photonics chip, and first and second optical fibers coupling the transmit and receive CMOS photonic chips, wherein said transmit CMOS photonics chip comprises: a splitter coupled to the laser, and having first and second outputs; an optical modulator coupled to the first output of the splitter and having an output coupled to the first optical fiber, the second output of the splitter coupled to the second optical fiber, and a transmit-side photodetector coupled to the second optical fiber; and wherein the receive CMOS photonics chip comprises: a receive-side photodetector coupled to the first optical fiber; and an optical modulator having a first input/output port coupled to the second optical fiber and a second input/output port coupled to a mirror: communicating a first modulated optical signal from said transmit CMOS photonics chip to said receive CMOS photonics chip; communicating an unmodulated optical signal from said transmit CMOS photonics chip to said receive CMOS photonics chip; and communicating a second modulated optical signal from said receive CMOS photonics chip to said transmit CMOS photonics chip, wherein said second modulated optical signal is generated by modulating said communicated unmodulated optical signal in said receive CMOS photonics chip.