A system and method for connectivity configuration of a network node permits an optical signal to be passed through the node and shifted from a first connector position to a second connector position that is offset from the first connector position. The shifted optical signal permits a number of distant nodes in the network to be reached with a direct optical connection, which can be configured to be bidirectional. The disclosed connectivity configuration reduces the cabling requirements for the network and simplifies the interconnections.

A photonic interconnect apparatus includes tunable light devices, multiplexers to multiplex optical signals produced by the tunable light devices onto optical paths, and a cyclic arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) to receive the optical signals over the optical paths, and to direct a given optical signal of the received optical signals to a selected output of a plurality of outputs of the cyclic AWG based on a wavelength of the given optical signal. A respective demultiplexer directs the given optical signal to a selected output of a plurality of outputs of the respective demultiplexer according to which coarse wavelength band the wavelength of the given optical signal is part of.

A fast optical switch can be fabricated/constructed, when a vanadium dioxide (VO.sub.2) and a two-dimensional (2-D) material is activated by either an electrical pulse (a voltage pulse or a current pulse) or a light pulse just to induce an insulator-to-metal phase transition (IMT) in vanadium dioxide. 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.

A photonic frame switching system may include a main controller and at least one photonic frame wrapper line card. The main controller may determine a point in time at which a photonic frame wrapper line card transmits a photonic frame by allocating a time slot to the photonic frame wrapper line card. When the photonic frame switching system includes a plurality of photonic frame wrapper line cards, points in times at which the plurality of photonic frame wrapper line cards transmits the photonic frames may be synchronized. In particular, when a portion of the plurality of photonic frame wrapper line cards transmit a plurality of photonic frames having different destinations, points in times at to which all of the plurality of photonic frame wrapper line cards transmits the photonic frames may be adjusted based on a latency by a destination change.

In an example, the present invention includes an integrated system-on-chip device. The device is configured on a single silicon substrate member. The device has a data input/output interface provided on the substrate member. The device has an input/output block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the data input/output interface. The device has a signal processing block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the input/output block. The device has a driver module provided on the substrate member and coupled to the signal processing block. In an example, the device has a driver interface provided on the substrate member and coupled to the driver module and configured to be coupled to a silicon photonics device. In an example, a control block is configured to receive and send instruction(s) in a digital format to the communication block and is configured to receive and send signals in an analog format to communicate with the silicon photonics device.

In an example, the present invention includes an integrated system-on-chip device. The device is configured on a single silicon substrate member. The device has a data input/output interface provided on the substrate member. The device has an input/output block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the data input/output interface. The device has a signal processing block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the input/output block. The device has a driver module provided on the substrate member and coupled to the signal processing block. In an example, the device has a driver interface provided on the substrate member and coupled to the driver module and configured to be coupled to a silicon photonics device. In an example, a control block is configured to receive and send instruction(s) in a digital format to the communication block and is configured to receive and send signals in an analog format to communicate with the silicon photonics device.

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 transmitter includes an optical modulator configured to modulate an optical signal, a dual-stage space switch configured to receive, as an input, the modulated optical signal from the optical modulator, and output ports configured to control light outputs based on an operation of the dual-stage space switch.

A system includes a multiplexer having a pass-band and an optical network unit (ONU) optically coupled to the multiplexer. The ONU includes a tunable laser configured to continuously transmit an optical signal to the multiplexer in a burst-on state and a burst-off state. While in the burst-on state, the ONU is configured to tune the tunable laser to transmit the optical signal at a transmit wavelength within the wavelength pass-band of the multiplexer. The multiplexer configured to allow passage therethrough of the optical signal at the transmit wavelength. While in the burst-off state, the ONU is configured to tune the tunable laser to transmit the optical signal at a non-transmit wavelength outside of the wavelength pass-band of the multiplexer. The multiplexer configured to block passage therethrough of the optical signal at the non-transmit wavelength.

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.