Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.

Ziliang Cai

Kai-Sheng Lin

Hao-Chiang Cheng

Hsiu-Che Wang

Kevin Liu

John Cheng

Chong Wang

Yi Wang

Justin Lii

Stella Liang Chen

The present disclosure is generally directed to techniques for thermal management within optical subassembly modules that include thermally coupling heat-generating components, such as laser assemblies, to a temperature control device, such as a thermoelectric cooler, without the necessity of disposing the heat-generating components within a hermetically-sealed housing. Accordingly, this arrangement provides a thermal communication path that extends from the heat-generating components, through the temperature control device, and ultimately to a heatsink component, such as a sidewall of a transceiver housing, without the thermal communication path extending through a hermetically-sealed housing/cavity.

Techniques for thermal management within optical subassembly modules and a heater device for laser diode temperature control

A parabolic reflector device (also referred to herein as a parabolic lens device) is disclosed which includes a plurality of parabolic lens members and a mirror member which couple together and collectively provide a light-transmissive structure for multiplexing or demultiplexing of an optical signal. The parabolic reflector device can be implemented within optical subassembly modules to support operations of transmitter optical subassemblies (TOSAs) and/or receiver optical subassemblies (ROSAs).

Parabolic lens device for use in optical subassembly modules

In general, the present disclosure is directed to locking arrangements for use with optical subassembly housings, such as small form-factor pluggable (SFFP) housings, that include a handle member configured to rotate about the housing to allow a user to select a target/desired orientation. Preferably, the locking arrangement couples to a pluggable housing that is configured to removably couple into a receptacle of an optical transceiver cage or other suitable enclosure. The locking arrangement further includes a handle member rotatably coupled to the pluggable housing, the handle member being configured to allow the pluggable housing to releasably lock within the receptacle. The handle member is also preferably configured to maintain a user-selected orientation such that the handle member remains at a given angle relative to the pluggable housing in the absence of a user-supplied force.

Locking arrangements for pluggable optical subassembly modules

The present disclosure is generally directed to an optical demultiplexer for use in an optical transceiver module having a truncated profile/shape to increase tolerance and accommodate adjacent optical components. In more detail, the optical demultiplexer comprises a body with at least one truncated corner at the input end. The at least one truncated corner allows the optical demultiplexer to be disposed/mounted, e.g., directly, on a densely populated transceiver substrate, e.g., a printed circuit board (PBC), and provide additional tolerance/space for mounting of circuitry and/or components within the region that would normally be occupied by corner(s) of the optical demultiplexer body. The at least one truncated corner may be introduced in a post-production step, e.g., via cut & polishing, or introduced during formation of the optical demultiplexer using, for instance, photolithography techniques.

Optical demultiplexer with truncated profile and an optical transceiver module implementing same

A temperature controlled multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA), consistent with embodiments described herein, may be used in a multi-channel optical transceiver. The temperature controlled multi-channel TOSA generally includes an array of lasers to emit a plurality of different channel wavelengths. The lasers may be thermally tuned to the channel wavelengths by establishing a global temperature for the array of lasers such that the amount of heat communicated to each laser is substantially the same. The global temperature may be established, at least in part, by monitoring the shortest channel wavelength and/or a temperature of the lasers. The temperature of the lasers may then get increased via a shared heating device in thermal communication with the lasers until the shortest monitored wavelength substantially reaches the nominal shortest wavelength or the measured temperature substantially equals the global temperature.

Temperature controlled multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly and transceiver module including same

The present disclosure is generally directed to a housing for use with optical transceivers or transmitters that includes integrated heatsinks with a graphene coating to increase thermal dissipation during operation. In more detail, an embodiment of the present disclosures includes a housing that defines at least first and second sidewalls and a cavity disposed therebetween. The first and/or second sidewalls can include integrated heatsinks to dissipate heat generated by optical components, e.g., laser diodes, laser diode drivers, within the cavity of the housing. The integrated heatsinks can include at least one layer of graphene disposed thereon to increase thermal performance, and in particular, to decrease thermal resistance of the heatsink and promote heat dissipation.

Heatsink with graphene coating and an optical transmitter or transceiver implementing same

The present disclosure is generally directed to a multi-channel TOSA arrangement with a housing that utilizes a feedthrough device with at least one integrated mounting surface to reduce the overall dimensions of the housing. The housing includes a plurality of sidewalls that define a hermetically-sealed cavity therebetween. The feedthrough device includes a first end disposed in the hermetically-sealed cavity of the housing and a second end extending from the cavity away from the housing. The feedthrough device provides the at least one integrated mounting surface proximate the first end within the hermetically-sealed cavity. At least a first laser diode driver (LDD) chip mounts to the at least one integrated mounting surface of the feedthrough device. A plurality of laser arrangements are also disposed in the hermetically-sealed cavity proximate the first LDD chip and mount to, for instance, a LD submount supported by a thermoelectric cooler.

Transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) with laser diode driver (LDD) circuitry mounted to feedthrough of TOSA housing

In general, the present disclosure is directed to an optical turning mirror for receiving channel wavelengths along a first optical path and reflecting the same towards a fiber or photodetector (PD) without the necessity of disposing a highly reflective layer to increase reflectivity. In more detail, the optical turning mirror includes a substantially transparent body, e.g., capable of passing at least 80% of incident wavelengths, that defines an input region with integrated focus lens(es) for receiving channel wavelengths along a first optical path and a reflective surface disposed opposite the input region to direct/launch received channel wavelengths along a second optical path towards an output interface having an angled light-transmissive surface, with the second optical path extending substantially transverse relative to the first optical path.

Optical turning mirror with angled output interface to increase coupling efficiency and a multi-channel optical subassembly using same

This present disclosure is generally directed to an optical isolator array with a magnetic base that allows for mounting and alignment of N number of optical isolators modules within an optical subassembly module. In an embodiment, the magnetic base provides at least one mounting surface for coupling to N number of optical isolators, with N being equal to an optical channel count for the optical subassembly (e.g., 4-channels, 8-channels, and so on). The magnetic base includes an overall width that allows for a desired number of optical isolators to get mounted thereon. Each optical isolator can be uniformly disposed along the same axis on the magnetic base and at a distance D from adjacent optical isolators. An adhesive such as ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) optical adhesives may be used to secure each optical isolator at a predefined position and increase overall structural integrity.

Optical isolator array for use in an optical subassembly module

The present disclosure is generally directed to an optical transceiver module that includes a mounting section for aligning and coupling to associated TOSA modules. In particular, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes TOSA and ROSA components disposed on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The PCBA includes a plurality of grooves at a optical coupling end to provide a TOSA mounting section. Each of the grooves provides at least one mating surface to receive and couple to an associated TOSA module. Opposite the optical coupling end, the PCBA includes an electric coupling section for coupling to, for example, a transmit (RX) circuit that provides one or more electrical signals to drive TOSA modules coupled to the TOSA mounting section.

Printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) with integrated mounting structure to align and couple to transmitter optical assembly (TOSA) modules

The present disclosure is generally directed to a laser subassembly for use in a TOSA module that includes an integrated impedance matching network to enable a plurality of selectable resistance configurations to ensure the driving circuit and laser emitter of the TOSA module have matching, or substantially matching, impedances. The laser subassembly includes a substrate with a driving circuit disposed thereon. The driving circuit includes signal conductors for electrically coupling to an external transmit connecting circuit, a conductive laser mounting section, and an impedance matching network. The impedance matching network includes a plurality of resistors, with one or more of the resistors being selectively electrically coupled to the conductive laser mounting section to introduce a selected amount of impedance to minimize or otherwise reduce reflection.

Laser subassembly having impedance-matching network integrated on laser submount and a transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) implementing same

An optical transceiver module is disclosed having a housing that includes at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion, each of the first and second housing portions including a base portion having at least one sidewall extending therefrom that defines a compartment. The first housing portion is configured to couple to the second housing portion to form a cavity therebetween. A transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) arrangement coupled to the base portion of the first housing portion and is electrically coupled to a first flexible printed circuit (FPC). A receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) arrangement is coupled to the base portion of the second housing portion and is electrically coupled to a second FPC. A first shield coupled to at least one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion to reduce electromagnetic interference between the TOSA arrangement and the ROSA arrangement.

Techniques for shielding within an optical transceiver housing to mitigate electromagnetic interference between optical subassemblies disposed within the same

The present disclosure is generally directed to an optical transceiver module with a locking arrangement that allows the optical transceiver module to be releasably coupled into an associated receptacle of an optical transceiver cage. The locking arrangement includes a handle member with teeth configured to engage notches of an actuating member to allow rotational movement of the handle to be translated into linear movement by the actuating member. The linear movement of the actuating member may be independent of the housing of the optical transceiver module, and as the handle is transitioned from a locked position to a release position such movement of the actuating member can urge release of the locking members of the optical transceiver cage by way of the tab portions of the actuating member. A user may then supply a force, e.g., a pulling force, to remove the unlocked subassembly module from the receptacle.

Locking arrangement for pluggable optical subassembly modules

A light engine is disclosed that includes an optical bench with a mirror etched therefrom to form a single, unitary structure. The integrated mirror may therefore be pre-aligned with an associated light path to reduce light path alignment errors. In an embodiment, the optical bench includes a first end extending to a second end along a longitudinal axis, a laser diode disposed on a mounting surface adjacent the first end of the optical bench and configured to output laser light along a first light path that extends substantially along the longitudinal axis, and an integrated mirror device disposed along the light path to receive and direct the laser light along a second light path to optically couple the laser light to a photonically-enabled complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) die, the second light path being substantially orthogonal relative to the first light path.

Light engine with integrated turning mirror for direct coupling to photonically-enabled complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) die

Techniques for reducing optical fiber bending loss in an optical transceiver are disclosed. In an embodiment, a small form-factor (SFF) optical transceiver housing includes a demultiplexer device, such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) device, having a longitudinal center line that is offset laterally by a distance Dfrom the longitudinal center line of the SFF optical transceiver housing. The lateral offset distance Dmay advantageously enable an intermediate optical fiber coupling the demultiplexer with an optical coupling receptacle, such as an LC connector, to be routed within the SFF optical transceiver housing in a manner that avoids introducing bends that are less than a minimum bending radius associated with the intermediate optical fiber cable. Thus some embodiments of the present disclosure enable greater tolerance when routing an intermediate optical fiber within housings that would otherwise introduce bending loss by virtue of their constrained dimensions.

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, TX, United States of America

Ziliang Cai