Single-level no-crossing microelectromechanical hitless switch for high density integrated optics

• US 20050185884A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Haus, Hermann A., Kimerling, Lionel C., Wong, Chee Wei, Popovic, Milos, Watts, Michael R., Haus, Eleanor L.
• Application Number:
  US11/012,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20050185884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12145 Switch
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12159 Interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3536 involving evanescent coupling variation, e.g. by a moving element such as a membrane which changes the effective refractive index mode converters G02B6/14; adjustable lateral coupling between waveguides G02B6/283; electro- optical refractive index variations G02F1/0118
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3562 Switch of the bypass type, i.e. enabling a change of path in a network, e.g. to bypass a failed element in the network
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3576 Temperature or heat actuation thermal forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0866; thermo-optic devices G02F1/0147
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3584 constructional details of an associated actuator having a MEMS construction, i.e. constructed using semiconductor technology such as etching MEMS per se B81B, B81C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3596 With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3132 of directional coupler type
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3136 of interferometric switch type
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0204 Broadcast and select arrangements, e.g. with an optical splitter at the input before adding or dropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0206 Express channels arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]

Abstract

An optical switch includes at least two signal bus waveguides that receive optical signals as input. At least two directional couplers are positioned so that the inputs to the at least two directional couplers are not switched relative to each other.

Claims

1. An optical switch comprising:

at least two signal bus waveguides that receive optical signals as input; and

at least two directional couplers that are positioned so that the inputs to said at least two directional couplers are not switched relative to each other.

2. The optical switch of claim 1 further comprising a bypass region that performs finite reconfiguration time operations on output signals received from one of said at least two directional couplers.

3. The optical switch of claim 2, wherein said bypass region comprises a π

-phase shift device in one of the arms of the Mach-Zehnder configuration.

4. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein one of said at least two directional couplers provides outputs signals to a through port and a tap port.

5. The optical switch of claim 1, wherein said at least two directional couplers comprises a MEMS perturbation device that is on the same vertical plane as the at least two signal bus waveguides.

6. The method of claim 5, where said MEMS perturbation device provides strong perturbation with proximity switching, permitting complete phase mismatch of the directional couplers.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprises proving a bypass region that performs finite reconfiguration time operations on output signals received from one of said at least two directional couplers.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said at least two directional couplers provides outputs signals to a through port and a tap port.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least two directional couplers comprises a MEMS perturbation device that is on the same vertical plane as the at least two signal bus waveguides.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said MEMS perturbation device provides strong perturbation with proximity switching, permitting complete phase mismatch of the directional couplers.

7. A method of forming an optical switch comprising:

providing at least two signal bus waveguides that receive optical signals as input; and

positioning at least two directional couplers so that the inputs to said at least two directional couplers are not switched relative to each other.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said bypass region comprises a π

-phase shift device in one of the arms of the Mach-Zehnder configuration.