An optically-switch data network includes an optical data bus, an optical wavelength bus, and multiple nodes connected by the optical data bus and the optical wavelength bus. A first node determines that it has communication information to transmit to a second node, and determines if a first subscription signal is present on the optical wavelength bus. The first subscription signal includes a target frequency. If the first subscription signal is not present on the optical wavelength bus, the first node injects an optical communication signal onto the optical data bus. The optical communication signal includes the communication information and a carrier wave. The carrier wave includes the target frequency. The second node receives the optical communication signal using the optical data bus. If the first subscription signal is present on the optical wavelength bus, injection of the optical communication signal onto the optical data bus is postponed.

A fast optical (with or without a photonic crystal) switch is fabricated/constructed, utilizing a phase transition material/Mott insulator, activated by either an electrical pulse (a voltage pulse or a current pulse) and/or a light pulse and/or pulses in terahertz (THz) frequency of a suitable field strength and/or hot electrons. The applications of such a fast optical switch for an on-demand optical add-drop subsystem, integrating with (a) a light slowing/light stopping component (based on metamaterials and/or nanoplasmonic structures) and (b) with or without a wavelength converter are also described.

An optical device having a self-repair component capable of curing a defective component(s) is disclosed. To improve reliability as well as manufacturing yield, a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) for as a multi-channel optical line terminal (OLT) contains spare lasers or standby lasers configured to replace a failed laser(s). In one aspect, PIC includes a set of fixed-wavelength lasers (FWLs), a tunable-wavelength auxiliary laser (TWAL), a photonic detector, and a tuner. FWLs, for example, generate optical wavelengths representing optical signals. TWAL generates an optical signal with a spectrum of wavelengths based on a setting generated by the tuner. The photonic detector detects a defective wavelength. The tuner adjusts output wavelength of TWAL in response to the defective wavelength. Alternatively, PIC includes a working laser array, standby laser array, and spare laser array capable of providing two-layer laser defective protections.

An optical device having a self-repair component capable of curing a defective component(s) is disclosed. To improve reliability as well as manufacturing yield, a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) for as a multi-channel optical line terminal (OLT) contains spare lasers or standby lasers configured to replace a failed laser(s). In one aspect, PIC includes a set of fixed-wavelength lasers (FWLs), a tunable-wavelength auxiliary laser (TWAL), a photonic detector, and a tuner. FWLs, for example, generate optical wavelengths representing optical signals. TWAL generates an optical signal with a spectrum of wavelengths based on a setting generated by the tuner. The photonic detector detects a defective wavelength. The tuner adjusts output wavelength of TWAL in response to the defective wavelength. Alternatively, PIC includes a working laser array, standby laser array, and spare laser array capable of providing two-layer laser defective protections.

In the examples provided herein, a system has a plurality of arrayed waveguide gratings (AWG) having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports. A signal within a given wavelength channel transmitted to one of the input ports of a given AWG is routed to one of the output ports of the given AWG based on a signal wavelength. The system also has a plurality of nodes, with each node comprising a set of components for each AWG that the node is coupled to. Each set of components comprises a plurality of optical transmitters, where each optical transmitter is tunable over multiple wavelength channels within a different wavelength band; a band multiplexer to multiplex the multiple wavelength channels within each different wavelength band; and a first output fiber to couple an output of the band multiplexer to one of the input ports of a first AWG.

An optoelectronic device and method of making the same. The device comprising: a substrate; an epitaxial crystalline cladding layer, on top of the substrate; and an optically active region, above the epitaxial crystalline cladding layer; wherein the epitaxial crystalline cladding layer has a refractive index which is less than a refractive index of the optically active region, such that the optical power of the optoelectronic device is confined to the optically active region.

An optical device having a self-repair component capable of curing a defective component(s) is disclosed. To improve reliability as well as manufacturing yield, a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) for as a multi-channel optical line terminal (OLT) contains spare lasers or standby lasers configured to replace a failed laser(s). In one aspect, PIC includes a set of fixed-wavelength lasers (FWLs), a tunable-wavelength auxiliary laser (TWAL), a photonic detector, and a tuner. FWLs, for example, generate optical wavelengths representing optical signals. TWAL generates an optical signal with a spectrum of wavelengths based on a setting generated by the tuner. The photonic detector detects a defective wavelength. The tuner adjusts output wavelength of TWAL in response to the defective wavelength. Alternatively, PIC includes a working laser array, standby laser array, and spare laser array capable of providing two layer laser defective protections.

A transmission system includes a plurality of nodes in which respective adjacent nodes are coupled by a first kind of optical fiber compatible with light in a first wavelength band or a second kind of optical fiber compatible with light in a second wavelength band, wherein each of the plurality of nodes includes a transmitting node that generates a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in the first wavelength band by carrying out wavelength multiplexing of a plurality of optical signals and transmits the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, a receiving node that demultiplexes the plurality of optical signals from the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal and receives the plurality of optical signals, and one or more relay nodes that relay the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal from the transmitting node to the receiving node through the first kind or the second kind of optical fiber.

A photonic switch device accepts a data modulated RF signal and outputs the data modulated RF signal or a frequency converted version thereof at one or more outputs of the switch device. Tunable laser(s) is/are controlled to cause peak wavelength(s) of the optical signal(s) emitted therefrom. An EOM receives the accepted data modulated RF signal and optical signal(s) produced using the tunable laser(s), and the EOM outputs an optical data signal modulated to include the data modulated RF signal. A WDM receives the optical data signal output by the EOM and the optical data signal received by the WDM demultiplexer is output at one or more outputs thereof based on peak wavelength(s) of the optical data signal. Photodetectors optically coupled to respective outputs of the WDM demultiplexer convert optical signals back to electrical signals. Related methods and system are also described herein.

A silicon-on-insulator chip including an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) and an array of detector remodulators (DRMs) in a planar arrangement with the AWG such that the modulators or modulators and detectors of said DRMs are located within the same plane as the waveguides of the AWG; and wherein each DRM is located at an input or output of the AWG.