Patent ID: 8204385

Claim:
An optical device deposited on a substrate, comprising: an optical waveguide configured to receive a set of optical signals, wherein a given optical signal has a carrier wavelength, and wherein carrier wavelengths of the set of optical signals span a band of wavelengths; a transmitter which includes: transmitter heating elements; and a group of transmitter optical modulators, optically coupled to the optical waveguide and thermally coupled to corresponding transmitter heating elements that thermally tune the group of transmitter optical modulators, wherein the group of transmitter optical modulators have target operating wavelengths at a given temperature, actual operating wavelengths at the given temperature, and free spectral ranges, and wherein transmitter optical modulators in the group of transmitter optical modulators have different target operating wavelengths, and wherein the free spectral ranges around the target operating wavelengths encompass the band of wavelengths; and control logic configured to assign transmitter optical modulators in the group of transmitter optical modulators to corresponding carrier wavelengths based at least on differences between the carrier wavelengths and the actual operating wavelengths, thereby reducing an average thermal tuning energy associated with the transmitter heating elements.