Agile Light Source Provisioning for Information and Communications Technology Systems

Abstract

Optical components are provided for use in information and communications technology (ICT) systems. For example, an optical assembly includes an optical module configured to modulate continuous wave optical beams of different powers into a plurality of modulated optical signals at different powers and couple the modulated optical signals onto different length optical mediums, so that lower power ones of the modulated optical signals are coupled to shorter ones of the optical mediums and higher power ones of the modulated optical signals are coupled to longer ones of the optical mediums. An optical power splitter includes a plurality of optical couplers configured to input continuous wave optical beams of the same power and output a plurality of continuous wave optical beams at different powers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical assembly, comprising:
 an optical module configured to modulate continuous wave optical beams of different powers into a plurality of modulated optical signals at different powers and couple the modulated optical signals onto different length optical mediums so that lower power ones of the modulated optical signals are coupled to shorter ones of the optical mediums and higher power ones of the modulated optical signals are coupled to longer ones of the optical mediums.   
     
     
         2 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the optical module is disposed on a board and configured to modulate a lower power one of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of different powers into one of the modulated optical signals at the same power and couple that modulated optical signal onto a waveguide connecting the optical module to another optical module on the same card. 
     
     
         3 . The optical assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the optical module is disposed on a board and configured to modulate a higher power one of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of different powers into one of the modulated optical signals at the same power and couple that modulated optical signal onto an external optical fiber connected to the card. 
     
     
         4 . An optical power splitter, comprising:
 a plurality of optical couplers configured to input continuous wave optical beams of the same power and output a plurality of continuous wave optical beams at different powers.   
     
     
         5 . The optical power splitter of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of optical couplers is configured to input a single one of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of the same power and output a plurality of continuous wave optical beams at a lower power than input. 
     
     
         6 . The optical power splitter of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of optical couplers is configured to input at least two of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of the same power and output the same number of continuous wave optical beams as input at the same power as input, or fewer continuous wave optical beams as input at a lower power than input. 
     
     
         7 . The optical power splitter of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical couplers comprise a plurality of Mach-Zehnder interferometers. 
     
     
         8 . The optical power splitter of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of optical couplers comprise at least one of a plurality of directional couplers and a plurality of multi-mode interference couplers. 
     
     
         9 . The optical power splitter of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the optical couplers comprises a plurality of waveguides. 
     
     
         10 . The optical power splitter of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of a refractive index of the waveguides, a coupling length of adjacent ones of the waveguides and a coupling gap between adjacent ones of the waveguides is modifiable so that a power coupling ratio between outputs of the at least one optical coupler can be changed. 
     
     
         11 . The optical power splitter of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the refractive index, the coupling length and the coupling gap is modifiable by heating the at least one optical coupler. 
     
     
         12 . The optical power splitter of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the refractive index, the coupling length and the coupling gap is modifiable by applying a bias current to one or more electrically conductive sections of the at least one optical coupler. 
     
     
         13 . The optical power splitter of  claim 10 , wherein the coupling gap is modifiable by an actuator included in the at least one optical coupler. 
     
     
         14 . A method of optical power splitting, comprising:
 inputting continuous wave optical beams of the same power into a plurality of optical couplers; and   outputting a plurality of continuous wave optical beams at different powers from the plurality of optical couplers.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of optical couplers inputs a single one of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of the same power and outputs a plurality of continuous wave optical beams at a lower power than input. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of optical couplers inputs at least two of the plurality of continuous wave optical beams of the same power and outputs the same number of continuous wave optical beams as input at the same power as input, or fewer continuous wave optical beams as input at a lower power than input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the optical couplers comprises a plurality of waveguides, the method further comprising:
 modifying at least one of a refractive index of the waveguides, a coupling length of adjacent ones of the waveguides and a coupling gap between adjacent ones of the waveguides so that a power coupling ratio between outputs of the at least one optical coupler can be changed.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the refractive index, the coupling length and the coupling gap is modified by heating the at least one optical coupler. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the refractive index, the coupling length and the coupling gap is modified by applying a bias current to one or more electrically conductive sections of the at least one optical coupler. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coupling gap is modified by an actuator included in the at least one optical coupler.