Wavelength selective switching and/or routing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for optically switching/routing comprising the steps of:
- separating input optical radiation into distinct input channels;
selecting desired distinct output channels;
propagating said distinct input channels through a selectable grating based switching/routing sub-system in order to direct said distinct input channels to desired distinct output channels;
recombining said desired distinct output channels.
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Abstract
Switching and/or routing devices use separating diffraction gratings or AWG, a selectable switching and routing sub-sytem system, and recombining diffraction gratings or AWG to overcomes problems associated with insertion loss, size and compactness, switch isolation, switching speed, which may be present in current optical switching systems. The selectable switching and routing sub-system can include a switchable grating based sub-system or a switchable mirror based sub-sytem.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for optically switching/routing comprising the steps of:
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separating input optical radiation into distinct input channels;
selecting desired distinct output channels;
propagating said distinct input channels through a selectable grating based switching/routing sub-system in order to direct said distinct input channels to desired distinct output channels;
recombining said desired distinct output channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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5. An optical switching/routing system comprising:
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an optical separating sub-system;
said optical separating sub-system being capable of separating input optical radiation from at least one input beam/port into distinct input channels;
an optical recombining sub-system;
a selectable free space grating based switching/routing sub-system, said selectable switching and routing sub-sytem being interposed optically between said optical separating sub-system and said optical recombining sub-sytem; and
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said selectable switching/routing sub-system being capable of switching/routing said distinct input channels to desired distinct output channels;
said optical recombining subsystem being capable of redirecting and recombining said desired distinct output channels for output into at least one output beam/port. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
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19. An optical switching/routing sub-system comprising:
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first diffractive grating means for receiving and directing each of a plurality of input beams of electromagnetic radiation to travel in free space along a predetermined path of a plurality of separate paths to a predetermined output location of a plurality of output locations; and
second diffractive grating means;
said first diffractive grating means comprising a plurality of substantially evenly spaced apart switchable transmissive diffractive gratings and each of said spaced apart switchable transmissive diffractive gratings having at least one separately switchable region; and
said at least one said separately switchable region of said switchable diffractive gratings capable of being selectively activated or deactivated in order to independently control which said predetermined path of said plurality of separate paths at least one of said plurality of input beams of electromagnetic radiation travels in free space;
said second diffractive grating means receiving a plurality of output beams from said plurality of output locations and redirecting said output beams, said plurality of redirected output beams being substantially parallel to said plurality of input beams. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification