Methods and system for wavelength tunable optical components and sub-systems
First Claim
1. A device comprising:
- a substrate;
a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) element integrated upon the substrate in a first predetermined position comprising;
a rotatable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element;
an optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element rotating under action of the rotatable MEMS element; and
a mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element optically coupled to a facet of the optical waveguide;
a plurality of wavelength reflective filters integrated upon the substrate, each wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters in a second predetermined position relative to the MOEMS element and optically coupled to the MOEMS element; and
a reflective optical gain block disposed upon the substrate in a third predetermined position relative to the MOEMS element and optically coupled to the MOEMS element;
whereinthe MOEMS element optically couples optical signals to and from the reflective optical gain block and to and from a selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters selected in dependence upon the rotation of the rotatable MEMS element; and
the optical signals propagate within the optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element and are reflected by the mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to provide multiple independent multi-gigabit channels on one optical fiber. To meet demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost monolithic optical circuit technologies and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have become increasingly important. However, further integration via microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) of monolithically integrated optical waveguides upon a MEMS provide further integration opportunities and functionality options. Such MOEMS may include MOEMS mirrors and optical waveguides capable of deflection under electronic control. In contrast to MEMS devices where the MEMS is simply used to switch between two positions the state of MOEMS becomes important in all transition positions. Improvements to the design and implementation of such MOEMS mirrors, deformable MOEMS waveguides, and optical waveguide technologies supporting MOEMS devices are presented where monolithically integrated optical waveguides are directly supported, moved and/or deformed by a MEMS.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a substrate; a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) element integrated upon the substrate in a first predetermined position comprising; a rotatable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element; an optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element rotating under action of the rotatable MEMS element; and a mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element optically coupled to a facet of the optical waveguide; a plurality of wavelength reflective filters integrated upon the substrate, each wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters in a second predetermined position relative to the MOEMS element and optically coupled to the MOEMS element; and a reflective optical gain block disposed upon the substrate in a third predetermined position relative to the MOEMS element and optically coupled to the MOEMS element;
whereinthe MOEMS element optically couples optical signals to and from the reflective optical gain block and to and from a selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters selected in dependence upon the rotation of the rotatable MEMS element; and the optical signals propagate within the optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element and are reflected by the mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device comprising:
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a substrate; a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) element integrated upon the substrate in a first predetermined position comprising; a rotatable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element; an optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element rotating under action of the rotatable MEMS element; and a mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element optically coupled to a facet of the optical waveguide; an optical coupler integrated upon the substrate comprising; a first port coupled to an optical network for receiving optical signals; a second port coupled to an optical detector at least one of disposed upon the substrate and integrated upon the substrate; a third port for coupling first optical signals received by the optical coupler at the first port to the MOEMS element and coupling second optical signals received from the MOEMS element to the optical detector; and the optical detector disposed upon the substrate;
whereinthe first optical signals received from the network are coupled from the third port of the optical coupler to a selected wavelength reflective filter of a plurality of wavelength reflective filters via the optical waveguide and mirror; the second optical signals are those optical signals within the first optical signals reflected by the selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters and are coupled back to the third port of the optical coupler via the mirror and optical waveguide; and the selected wavelength filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters is established in dependence upon the rotation of the rotatable MEMS element to a predetermined position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A device comprising:
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a substrate; a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) element integrated upon the substrate in a first predetermined position comprising; a rotatable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element; an optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element rotating under action of the rotatable MEMS element; and a mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element optically coupled to a facet of the optical waveguide; an optical coupler integrated upon the substrate comprising a first port coupled to an optical network for receiving optical signals and a second port for coupling the received optical signals to the optical waveguide; and a plurality of transmissive wavelength filters integrated upon the substrate, each comprising a third port for receiving the received optical signals from the optical waveguide after reflection by the mirror and a fourth port for providing wavelength filtered optical signals to an optical detector; wherein rotation of the rotatable MEMS element to a predetermined position couples the received optical signals to a predetermined transmissive wavelength filter of the plurality of transmissive wavelength filters via the optical waveguide and mirror. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A device comprising:
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a substrate; a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) element integrated upon the substrate in a first predetermined position comprising; a rotatable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element; an optical waveguide formed upon the rotatable MEMS element rotating under action of the rotatable MEMS element; and a mirror formed upon the rotatable MEMS element optically coupled to a facet of the optical waveguide; an optical coupler integrated upon the substrate comprising; a first port coupled to a first port of the device for coupling to a first predetermined portion of an optical network; a second port coupled to second port of the device for coupling to a second predetermined portion of the optical network; a third port coupled to the optical waveguide; and a plurality of fourth ports each coupled to a first end of a wavelength selective filter of a plurality of wavelength selective filters; and the plurality of wavelength reflective filters, a second end of each wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters being disposed at a predetermined position relative to the rotatable MEMS;
whereinoptical signals received at the first port of the coupler are coupled to the third port of the optical coupler to the rotatable MEMS and therein to a selected wavelength reflective filter of a plurality of wavelength reflective filters via the optical waveguide and mirror; a first portion of the optical signals reflected by the selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters are coupled back to the first port of the optical coupler via the optical waveguide, mirror, and third port of the coupler; and a second portion of the optical signals not reflected by the selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters are coupled to the second port of the optical coupler via the fourth port of the plurality of fourth ports associated with the selected wavelength reflective filter of the plurality of wavelength reflective filters. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification