Adaptive Waveguide Optical Switching System and Method

• US 20120251042A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Julien, Martin, Brunner, Robert, Lessard, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/17
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12019 characterised by the optical interconnection to or from the AWG devices, e.g. integration or coupling with lasers or photodiodes coupling integrated waveguide to fibre G02B6/30, to optoelectronic element G02B6/42; monolithic integration of integrated waveguides with other optical elements G02B6/12004
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0032 using static wavelength routers (e.g. arrayed waveguide grating router [AWGR] )
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0058 Crossbar; Matrix

Abstract

Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for optical interconnection using a combination of an arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGr) and optical crossbar. Optical wavelengths can be flexibly routed from an input port to one or more output ports. Scaling of the system is easily accommodated.

Claims

1. An optical interconnect device comprising:

an optical crossbar; and

an arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGr) connected to said optical crossbar.

2. The optical interconnect device of claim 1, wherein said optical crossbar further comprises:

a plurality of input ports for receiving optical signals;

a plurality of input waveguides in said optical crossbar, each connected to one of said plurality of input ports, for guiding said optical signals;

a plurality of output ports in said optical crossbar;

a plurality of output waveguides in said optical crossbar, each connected to one of said plurality of output ports;

wherein said plurality of input waveguides and said plurality of output waveguides are disposed in an orthogonal relationship; and

a dual micro-ring resonator disposed at each of a plurality of interconnection points between said plurality of input waveguides and said plurality of output waveguides in said optical crossbar, each of said dual micro-ring resonators being configured to redirect an optical wavelength associated with said optical signals from said one of said plurality of input waveguides to said one of said plurality of output waveguides.

3. The optical interconnect device of claim 2, wherein said at least one dual micro-ring resonator further comprises:

a first micro-ring connected to said one of said plurality of input waveguides;

a second micro-ring connected to said one of said plurality of output waveguides; and

a coupler configured to transfer light having said optical wavelength from said first micro-ring into said second micro-ring.

4. The optical interconnect device of claim 1, wherein said AWGr further comprises a plurality of arrayed waveguide gratings each associated with an input port of said AWGr and configured to direct wavelengths received at a respective input port of said AWGr toward different output ports of said AWGr.

5. The optical interconnect device of claim 1, wherein said optical crossbar includes first input ports and first output ports and said AWGr includes second input ports and second output ports.

6. The optical interconnect device of claim 5, wherein said first output ports of said optical crossbar are connected to said second input ports of said AWGr, wherein said optical interconnect device is an AWGr egress-based device.

7. The optical interconnect device of claim 5, wherein said second output ports of said AWGr are connected to said first input ports of said optical crossbar, wherein said optical interconnect device is an AWGr ingress-based device.

8. The optical interconnect device of claim 6, wherein said AWGr directs at least two wavelengths from one of said second input ports to one of said second output ports.

9. The optical interconnect device of claim 1, wherein said AWGr has a mapping between its input port and its output ports, and each of the dual-micro ring resonators in said optical crossbar is tuned to redirect a wavelength, such that all of the wavelengths which are input to said optical interconnect device on an ingress port are distributed evenly among egress ports of said optical interconnect device.

10. The optical interconnect device of claim 1, wherein said AWGr has a mapping between its input port and its output ports, and each of the dual-micro ring resonators in said optical crossbar is tuned to redirect a wavelength, such that all of the wavelengths which are input to said optical interconnect device on an ingress port are distributed unevenly among egress ports of said optical interconnect device.

11. A method for routing optical wavelengths in an optical interconnect device, the method comprising:

receiving said optical wavelengths on an ingress port of said optical interconnect device;

redirecting said optical wavelengths from an input port of an arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGr) to one or more output ports of said AWGr; and

redirecting said optical wavelengths from an input port of an optical crossbar to one or more output ports of said optical crossbar; and

outputting said optical wavelengths on one or more egress ports of said optical interconnect device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said optical crossbar comprises:

a plurality of input ports for receiving optical wavelengths;

a plurality of input waveguides in said optical crossbar, each connected to one of said plurality of input ports, for guiding said optical wavelengths;

a plurality of output ports in said optical crossbar;

a plurality of output waveguides in said optical crossbar, each connected to one of said plurality of output ports;

wherein said plurality of input waveguides and said plurality of output waveguides are disposed in an orthogonal relationship; and

a dual micro-ring resonator disposed at each of a plurality of interconnection points between said plurality of input waveguides and said plurality of output waveguides in said optical crossbar, each of said dual micro-ring resonators being configured to redirect one of the optical wavelengths from said one of said plurality of input waveguides to said one of said plurality of output waveguides.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one dual micro-ring resonator further comprises:

a first micro-ring connected to said one of said plurality of input waveguides;

a second micro-ring connected to said one of said plurality of output waveguides; and

a coupler configured to transfer light having said one of said optical wavelengths from said first micro-ring into said second micro-ring.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said AWGr further comprises a plurality of arrayed waveguide gratings each associated with an input port of said AWGr and configured to direct wavelengths received at a respective input port of said AWGr toward different output ports of said AWGr.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said optical crossbar includes first input ports and first output ports and said AWGr includes second input ports and second output ports.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first output ports of said optical crossbar are connected to said second input ports of said AWGr, wherein said optical interconnect device is an AWGr egress-based device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said second output ports of said AWGr are connected to said first input ports of said optical crossbar, wherein said optical interconnect device is an AWGr ingress-based device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said AWGr directs at least two wavelengths from one of said second input ports to one of said second output ports.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said AWGr has a mapping between its input port and its output ports, and each of the dual-micro ring resonators in said optical crossbar is tuned to redirect one of said optical wavelengths, such that all of the optical wavelengths which are input to said optical interconnect device on an ingress port are distributed evenly among egress ports of said optical interconnect device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said AWGr has a mapping between its input port and its output ports, and each of the dual-micro ring resonators in said optical crossbar is tuned to redirect one of said optical wavelengths, such that all of the optical wavelengths which are input to said optical interconnect device on an ingress port are distributed unevenly among egress ports of said optical interconnect device.