A link extender configured to extend a range of an optical transceiver module is provided. The link extender includes an array of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to amplify an optical signal received from the optical transceiver module, a first plurality of variable optical attenuators (VOAs) configured to control a power output of the amplified optical signal output from the array of SOAs, and a plurality of dispersion compensation and filtering (DC&F) devices configured to compensate for chromatic dispersion of the optical signal.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and system for beam forming and beam steering within ultra-wideband, wireless optical communication devices and systems. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus is disclosed. The FSO communication apparatus includes an array of optical sources wherein each optical source of the array of optical sources is individually controllable and each optical source configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and system for beam forming and beam steering within ultra-wideband, wireless optical communication devices and systems. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus is disclosed. The FSO communication apparatus includes a semiconductor optical device configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps), a lens, and a first band select filter.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and system for beam forming and beam steering within ultra-wideband, wireless optical communication devices and systems. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus is disclosed. The FSO communication apparatus includes an array of optical sources wherein each optical source of the array of optical sources is individually controllable and each optical source configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).

A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) receives a multiwavelength input optical signal and amplifies the multiwavelength input optical signal to generate an amplified multiwavelength optical signal. A waveguide is coupled to receive the amplified multiwavelength optical signal. The waveguide includes an enhanced chromatic dispersion segment configured to increase chromatic dispersion experienced by the multiwavelength optical signal as the multiwavelength optical signal propagates through the waveguide and is amplified by the SOA. This increase in chromatic dispersion reduces noise, such as four-wave mixing noise, in the amplified multiwavelength optical signal.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and system for beam forming and beam steering within ultra-wideband, wireless optical communication devices and systems. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus is disclosed. The FSO communication apparatus includes a semiconductor optical device configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps), a lens, and a first band select filter.

A method of controlling an optical amplifying system that processes an optical signal with the PAM4 mode is disclosed. The optical amplifying system includes a variable optical attenuator (VOA) and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The VOA attenuates the optical signal such that a maximum optical power thereof corresponding to one of the physical levels of the PAM4 signal becomes equal to a preset optical level for which the SOA may be linearly operable. The SOA may amplify the thus attenuated optical signal with a fixed optical gain.

Systems and methods of undersea optical communication are provided. An undersea optical amplifier assembly can include a water-tight housing and a photonic integrated circuit disposed within the housing. The photonic integrated circuit includes a plurality of optical fiber inputs, each configured to receive an end of a respective optical fiber of a first fiber optic cable bundle, and a plurality of optical fiber outputs. Each optical fiber output corresponds to a respective optical fiber input to form a fiber optic input-output pair, and is configured to receive an end of a respective optical fiber of a second fiber optic cable bundle. The photonic integrated circuit includes an optical amplifier optically coupled to each respective fiber optic input-output pair. The housing includes a first water-tight access port configured to receive the first fiber optic cable bundle, and a second water-tight access port configured to receive a second fiber optic cable bundle.

Described herein are photonic integrated circuits (PICs) comprising a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) to output a signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a sensor to detect data associated with a power value of each wavelength of the output signal of the SOA, a filter to filter power values of one or more of the wavelengths of the output signal of the SOA, and control circuitry to control the filter to reduce a difference between a pre-determined power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA and the detected power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA.

Techniques for improving redundancy in semiconductor-based optical communication systems are provided. For example, two or more semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) may be provided in an optical repeater, and each SOA may form a respective amplification path. When failure occurs on a first SOA, a second SOA that is different from the first SOA can be selected. In one example, the selection may be based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and in another example, the selection may be based on optical switching. The two or more SOAs (and other optical components) may be integrated in the same substrate package.