A photonic node includes a first circuit disposed on a first substrate and a second circuit disposed on a second substrate different from the first substrate. The first circuit is configured to route light signals originated from the photonic node to local nodes of a local group in which the photonic node is a member. The second circuit is configured to route light signals received from a node of an external group in which the photonic node is not a member, to one of the local nodes.

This disclosure describes C and L band optical communications module link extender, and related systems and methods. An example method may include receiving, by a first dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM) of an amplification module in communication with an optical communication module link extender (OCML), first passive optical network (PON) signals in a downstream direction. The example method may also include combining the first PON signals into a combined PON signal, and outputting the combined PON signal to the OCML. The example method may also include receiving, by a first input of the OCML, the combined PON signal. The example method may also include receiving by a second dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM) of the OCML, one or more optical data signals in the downstream direction, the one or more optical data signals being a different signal type than the one or more PON signals. The example method may also include combining, by the second DWDM, the one or more optical data signals into a combined optical data signal, and outputting the combined optical data signal. The example method may also include outputting, by the OCML, the combined optical data signal and the combined PON signal. The example method may also include receiving, from the amplification module and from the OCML, a second combined PON signal in an upstream direction at one or more Raman pumps of the amplification module. The example method may also include outputting, by the one or more Raman pumps, the second combined PON signal to the first DWDM.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

An photonic circuit includes a substrate, a plurality of first light waveguides disposed on the substrate, the first light waveguides extending in a first direction, a plurality of second light waveguides disposed on the substrate and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a plurality of first micro-ring resonators disposed on the substrate. Each of the first light waveguides has an intersection with each of the second light waveguides. Each of the intersections is provided with a first micro-ring resonator of the first micro-ring resonators. Each first micro-ring resonator is configured to route signals of a respective wavelength from one of the light waveguides at the intersection to another light waveguide at the intersection.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.

Methods and apparatus are provided for switching an optical signal. In one aspect, an optical switching apparatus comprises a first beam splitting apparatus configured to split a first optical input signal into first and second optical signals, wherein the first optical signal has substantially the same polarization state as the second optical signal. The apparatus also comprises a switching matrix comprising a plurality of first outputs of the switching matrix and a plurality of second outputs of the switching matrix, each first output of the switching matrix associated with a respective one of the second outputs of the switching matrix, the switching matrix configured to selectively direct the first optical signal to a selected one of the first outputs of the switching matrix and to selectively direct the second optical signal to the second output of the switching matrix associated with the selected first output of the switching matrix. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of beam combining apparatus, each beam combining apparatus configured to combine optical signals from a respective one of the first outputs of the switching matrix and its associated second output of the switching matrix.

Circuits and methods that implement multiplexing for photons propagating in waveguides are disclosed, in which an input photon received on a selected one of a set of input waveguides can be selectably routed to one of a set of output waveguides. The output waveguide can be selected on a rotating or cyclic basis, in a fixed order, and the input waveguide can be selected based at least in part on which one(s) of a set of input waveguides is (are) currently propagating a photon.

Consistent the present disclosure, a network or system is provided in which a hub or primary node may communication with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity that may be greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed that receive data carrying optical signals from and supply data carrying optical signals to the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Consistent with an aspect of the present disclosure, optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. In addition, the subcarriers may be employed using multiple access techniques, such as frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code-division multiple access (CDMA), and time-division multiple access so that the primary node can communicate with a relatively large number of secondary nodes. In addition, an out-of-band control channel may be provided to carry OAM information from the primary node to the secondary nodes, as well as from the secondary nodes to the primary nodes.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.