Patent ID: 7706639

Claim:
An integrated optical synthesizer comprising: a driver integrated circuit (IC) comprising a digital signal processor (DSP) for computing a multi-bit digital sample stream indicative of a target carrier modulation based on an input data signal, the DSP having a digital filter for computing respective multi-bit digital values of In-phase and Quadrature components of a target optical E-field modulation; an optical modulator integrated with the driver IC on a substrate or a plurality of substrates that are secured in a tile or stacked arrangement; a plurality of electrodes in operative relation to a waveguide of the optical modulator, each electrode being adapted to impose a respective predetermined modulation to light propagating within the waveguide; means, for each set of electrodes, for delaying a time of arrival of the respective bit of the sample stream to each electrode of the set, such that a time of arrival of the bit at each electrode substantially corresponds with an expected time of arrival of an optical wavefront propagating through the waveguide; and means for selectively activating one or more of the plurality of electrodes in accordance with the target carrier modulation.