A system includes a transmitter configured to output an optical signal. The transmitter includes a seed laser, an optical array including a plurality of array elements, and a plurality of phase shifters in a multi-layer arrangement. The multi-layer arrangement includes a plurality of layers between the seed laser and the optical array, wherein a first layer of the plurality of layers transmits light to a second layer of the plurality of layers. The first layer has fewer phase shifters than the second layer. The multi-layer arrangement also includes a plurality of branches wherein each branch includes a phase shifter from each of the plurality of layers connected in series between the seed laser and one of the plurality of array elements. Each phase shifter is configured to shift the optical signal incrementally to amass a total phase shift for each of the plurality of array elements.

An electro-optical chip includes a plurality of transmit macros, each of which includes an optical waveguide and a plurality of ring resonators positioned along the optical waveguide. An optical distribution network is implemented onboard the electro-optical chip. The optical distribution network has a plurality of optical inputs and a plurality of optical outputs. The optical distribution network conveys a portion of light received at each and every one of the plurality of optical inputs to each of the plurality of optical outputs, such that light conveyed to each of the plurality of optical outputs includes all wavelengths of light conveyed to the plurality of optical inputs. Each of the plurality of optical outputs is optically connected to the optical waveguide in a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit macros. The electro-optical chip is optically connected to a remote optical power supply.

An integrated transmitter chip comprising: at least one input port disposed at a first end of the integrated transmitter chip; a first variable power divider optically connected to each input port of the at least one input port; a second and a third variable power dividers optically branched from each first variable power divider; a first and a second optical channel optically branched from the second variable power divider, a third and a fourth optical channel optically branched from the third variable power divider; and at least one WDM optically attached to corresponding optical channels and configured to selectively modify the polarization of and multiplex corresponding optical signals into a output optical signal, wherein a laser beam is launched into an input port, split by corresponding variable power dividers based upon each dividers corresponding splitting ratio, then multiplexed and combined into an output optical signal having dual polarization modes.

An optical modulator includes: an encoder that encodes an input data signal; a branch circuit that branches an optical signal into first and second optical signals; a first arm through which the first optical signal branched at the branch circuit passes; a first phase shifter group on the first upper arm that adjusts a phase shift amount of the first optical signal that passes through the first arm; a second arm through which the second optical signal branched at the branch circuit passes; a second phase shifter group on the second arm that adjusts a phase shift amount of the second optical signal that passes through the second arm such that a sign of the phase shift amount of the second optical signal becomes opposite to a sign of the phase shift amount of the first optical signal; and a multiplexing circuit that multiplexes the first optical signal.

An optical network component and method are herein described. The system and method include determining a first power of an optical modulator using a first photodetector and a second power of the transmitter using a second photodetector, determining a contrast ratio based on the first power and the second power, and determining a modulation loss based on the contrast ratio.

An optical module includes an optical device that outputs an optical signal corresponding to a control voltage, a voltage controller that applies the control voltage on which a dither signal is superimposed to the optical device, a monitor unit that monitors the optical signal output from the optical device, and outputs a monitor signal, a multiplier that multiplies the monitor signal by a reference signal corresponding to the dither signal, a filter unit that extracts a direct-current component included in a multiplication result, and a controller that causes the voltage controller to change the control voltage in accordance with the direct-current component. The controller changes the frequency of the dither signal or the reference signal such that the frequency of the reference signal is twice as large as that of the dither signal, when the direct-current component satisfies a predetermined condition.

An optical modulator includes: an encoder that encodes an input data signal; a branch circuit that branches an optical signal into first and second optical signals; a first arm through which the first optical signal branched at the branch circuit passes; a first phase shifter group on the first upper arm that adjusts a phase shift amount of the first optical signal that passes through the first arm; a second arm through which the second optical signal branched at the branch circuit passes; a second phase shifter group on the second arm that adjusts a phase shift amount of the second optical signal that passes through the second arm such that a sign of the phase shift amount of the second optical signal becomes opposite to a sign of the phase shift amount of the first optical signal; and a multiplexing circuit that multiplexes the first optical signal.

An integrated transmitter chip comprising: at least one input port disposed at a first end of the integrated transmitter chip; a first variable power divider optically connected to each input port of the at least one input port; a second and a third variable power dividers optically branched from each first variable power divider; a first and a second optical channel optically branched from the second variable power divider, a third and a fourth optical channel optically branched from the third variable power divider; and at least one WDM optically attached to corresponding optical channels and configured to selectively modify the polarization of and multiplex corresponding optical signals into a output optical signal, wherein a laser beam is launched into an input port, split by corresponding variable power dividers based upon each dividers corresponding splitting ratio, then multiplexed and combined into an output optical signal having dual polarization modes.

A modulator assembly for modulating light comprising a first and a second electro-absorption modulator which each at least substantially only act on a polarization component of incident light; a light generating assembly for generating light which includes a first and a second polarization component; a first electro-absorption modulator for modulating the light generated by the light generating assembly, wherein the first electro-absorption modulator at least substantially only modulates the first polarization component of the light, so that the light exiting from the first electro-absorption modulator includes a modulated and an unmodulated polarization component; a polarization converter for changing the polarization direction of the light exiting from the first electro-absorption modulator. The light exiting from the polarization converter couples into the second electro-absorption modulator and is polarized such that by means of the second electro-absorption modulator a modulation at least substantially is effected only of the previously unmodulated polarization component.

An optical data transmitter having M serially optically connected electro-absorption modulators (EAMs) individually driven using ON-OFF-keying (OOK) electronics, where M is an integer greater than one. In an example embodiment, the optical data transmitter can be used to generate an intensity-modulated optical signal carrying symbols of a 2.sup.M-level unipolar pulse-amplitude-modulation constellation. The OOK electronics enables the DC bias voltages and/or AC amplitudes of the two-level drive signals applied to different EAMs to be individually controllable to achieve desired uniform or non-uniform separation between the constellation levels. In at least some embodiments, temperatures of different EAMs may also be individually controllable. In various embodiments, the EAMs may operate in reflection or in transmission.