Matthew Elaine Mitchell

US Patent:

7010185, Mar 7, 2006

Filed:

Jul 9, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/887632

Inventors:

Stephen G. Grubb - Ellicott City MD, US
Matthew L. Mitchell - Sunnyvale CA, US
Robert B. Taylor - Windsor Mill MD, US
Vincent G. Dominic - Fremont CA, US

Assignee:

Infinera Corporation - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G02B 6/12

US Classification:

385 14, 398 91, 372 26, 372 32

Abstract:

A method of deploying a passive optical combiner that is a broad bandwidth spectral wavelength combiner for combining the outputs from multiples transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips and, thereafter, the amplification of the combined channel signals with a booster optical amplifier couple between the passive optical combiner and the fiber transmission link. The booster optical amplifier may be a rear earth fiber amplifier, such as an erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), or one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) on one or more semiconductor chips. Such a combination of optical components simplifies the design of individual TxPICs and other such optical communication PICs, which has to take into consideration the nonlinear effects of difficult, high loss single mode fiber (SMF) links or other fiber-type links by allowing a higher power per channel to be achieved compared to the case where channel amplification is attempted directly on the TxPIC chip through the deployment of on-chip optical amplifiers, such as semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), integrated in locations following the electro-optic (EO) modulators, if not integrated also at other locations on the same chip.

US Patent:

7058248, Jun 6, 2006

Filed:

Jul 9, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/887630

Inventors:

Stephen G. Grubb - Ellicott City MD, US
Matthew L. Mitchell - Sunnyvale CA, US
Robert B. Taylor - Windsor Mill MD, US
Vincent G. Dominic - Fremont CA, US

Assignee:

Infinera Corporation - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G02B 6/12

US Classification:

385 14, 398 91, 372 26, 372 32

Abstract:

A C- and/or L-band booster optical amplifier is utilized in an optical communication system at the output of one or more semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips or the optical combined outputs of multiple semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips employed in an optical communication module, the deployment of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) on the TxPIC chips can be eliminated. This would reduce both the complexity in designing and fabricating these chips as well as reducing the power consumption of the TxPIC chips. The deployment of such a Tx booster optical amplifier would also take into consideration the nonlinear effects of difficult high loss single mode fiber (SMF) or other fiber type links by allowing a higher power per channel to be achieved compared to the case where channel amplification is attempted solely on the TxPIC chip.

US Patent:

7062111, Jun 13, 2006

Filed:

Oct 31, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/285936

Inventors:

Stephen G. Grubb - Ellicott City MD, US
Matthew L. Mitchell - Bethesda MD, US
Robert B. Taylor - Windsor Mill MD, US
Vincent G. Dominic - Fremont CA, US

International Classification:

G02B 6/12

US Classification:

385 14, 385 16, 385 17, 385 24, 385132

Abstract:

A C- and/or L-band booster optical amplifier is utilized at the output of a semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip or the optical combined outputs of multiple semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips employed in an optical communication module, the deployment of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) on the TxPIC chips can be eliminated. This would reduce both the complexity in designing and fabricating these chips as well as reducing the power consumption of the TxPIC chips. The deployment of such a Tx booster optical amplifier would also take into consideration the nonlinear effects of difficult high loss single mode fiber (SMF) or other fiber type links by allowing a higher power per channel to be achieved compared to the case where channel amplification is attempted solely on the TxPIC chip.

US Patent:

7130499, Oct 31, 2006

Filed:

Mar 15, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/079955

Inventors:

Stephen G. Grubb - Ellicott City MD, US
Matthew L. Mitchell - Sunnyvale CA, US
Robert B. Taylor - Windsor Mill MD, US
Vincent G. Dominic - Fremont CA, US

Assignee:

Infinera Corporation - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G02B 6/12

US Classification:

385 14, 372 50

Abstract:

An optical communication module comprises a plurality of monolithic semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips each having a plurality of optical signal channels approximating wavelengths on a standardized grid. Each of the channels comprises a laser source optically coupled to an electro-optic modulator. The outputs of the electro-optic modulators are coupled to inputs of an optical combiner integrated on each of the chips for combining the inputs to form a combined signal output from the chip. A second optical combiner combines the combined signal outputs from the TxPICs to form a combined optical signal group output. A booster optical amplifier is optically coupled to the second optical combiner to receive and amplify the combined optical signal group output from the second optical combiner.

US Patent:

7149433, Dec 12, 2006

Filed:

Oct 8, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/267274

Inventors:

Stephen G. Grubb - Ellicott City MD, US
Matthew L. Mitchell - Bethesda MD, US
Robert B. Taylor - Windsor Mill MD, US
Vincent G. Dominic - Fremont CA, US
Alan C. Nilsson - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Infineria Corporation - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

H04B 10/00

US Classification:

398175, 398180, 398 97

Abstract:

A digital signal channel bypass is provided as bypass around an optical network optical amplifier, in particular, an analog type optical amplifier, such as an EDFA, in an optical transport network or system. The digital signal bypass provides for an ability to maintain the existing optical amplifier OO amplification site while inserting a bypass that provides ultra low-cost OEO REGEN in a digital optical network (DON) utilizing both semiconductor electronic integrated circuit chips and semiconductor photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chips where all the optical components are in semiconductor integrated chip form providing 1R, 2R, 3R or 4R regeneration as well as other signal caring functionality. A salient feature of the digital signal bypass is to regenerate signals in the optical span that are outside the gain bandwidth of the EDFA or other such amplifier.