Photonic integrated circuit device and elements thereof

Abstract

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device is described. The PIC device includes a set of optical transceivers including optical transmitters and optical receivers, and an embedded optical interconnect mesh operatively associated with the set of optical transceivers and structured to enable at least one of the following network architectures: a star network architecture, a bus/broadcast network architecture, and a ring network architecture. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

1 . An indication method usable with a multi-channel laser array module, the method comprising:
 storing, at the multi-channel laser array module, an indication that at least one single-channel laser in the multi-channel laser array module is assigned to provide at least one of communication protection and communication restoration;   receiving, at the multi-channel laser array module, a query from an operator; and   transmitting a response which comprises the indication.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  and wherein the multi-channel laser array module comprises a tunable multi-channel laser array module, and the method also comprises:
 storing an identification of at least one channel wavelength over which the at least one of communication protection and communication restoration is provided.   
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  and also comprising:
 marking, based on the response, the at least one single-channel laser in the multi-channel laser array module as a protecting laser.   
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3  and also comprising:
 avoiding use of the protecting laser for a task other than the at least one of communication protection and communication restoration in response to the marking.   
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  and also comprising:
 providing the at least one of communication protection and communication restoration for at least one of the following: at least a portion of a separate optical transmitter; at least a portion of an optical communication system; and a portion of the multi-channel laser array module that does not include the at least one single-channel laser.   
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  and wherein the separate optical transmitter comprises at least one of the following: a VCSEL; a LED; an EEL; a tunable laser; a fixed-channel laser; and a tunable VCSEL. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 5  and wherein the indication comprises an identification of at least one of the following: the at least a portion of the separate optical transmitter; the at least a portion of the optical communication system; the at least one single-channel laser; and the portion of the multi-channel laser array module that does not include the at least one single-channel laser.