Systems for deploying an optical network

Abstract

A transmitter on an integrated circuit chip is disclosed that employs a laser, modulator, and a dispersion compensator module and a modulator for overcoming chromatic dispersion and polarization dependent loss effects. With the present invention, the dispersion compensator module is placed on a chip, either integrated or monolithic, for operation with a laser and a modulator without the need to compensate for dispersion within a separate unit that is not part of the chip. The dispersion compensator module can be implemented, for example, with a ring resonator, an etalon or a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In a first aspect of the invention, the optical transmitter module of the present invention provides a cost-effective solution for upgrading from an existing optical network to a faster optical network, such as upgrading from a 2.5 Gbps to a 10 Gbps network. In a second aspect of the invention, the optical transmitter module of the present invention provides a means to deploy an optical network at the transmission rate of 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and faster.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a laser for generating a single polarized light of a wavelength λ to an output;   a first polarization maintaining fiber;   a modulator having an input and an output, the first polarization maintaining fiber optically coupled between the laser and the input of the modulator for preserving the polarization of the single polarized light between the laser and the modulator;   a second polarization maintaining fiber; and   a dispersion compensating module having an input and an output, the second polarization maintaining fiber optically coupled between the output of the modulator and input of the dispersion compensating module for preserving the polarization of the single polarized light between the modulator and the dispersion compensating module, the dispersion compensator generating a single polarized output light signal.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the single polarized light from the laser has a polarization dependent loss that is substantially the same as the single polarized output light signal. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the single polarized light from the laser has a polarization dependent loss that is unchanged as the single polarized output light signal. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensating module comprises a ring resonator. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensating module comprises an etalon. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensating module comprises a Virtually Image Phased Array (VIPA). 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensating module comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a transmitter, a transceiver or a transponder. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the laser, the first polarization maintaining fiber, the modulator, the second polarization maintaining fiber and the dispersion compensating module are integrated on a chip.