Optical Signal Processing Device

• US 20160197695A1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: SENO, Kazunori, SUZUKI, Kenya, IKUMA, Yuichiro, ISHII, Yuzo, HADAMA, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/08 for controlling the direction of light in light guides G02B6/35
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/548 Phase or frequency modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/572 Wavelength control
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]

Abstract

The invention provides a low-cost and easy-to-align optical signal processing device on which a plurality of WSS function units can be integrated using only a single lens. Optical signals input to the first input/output port group (101-1) are output into a space as collimated light via the microlens array (102). The signal light propagating through the space will be wavelength-demultiplexed by the diffraction grating (103), focused by the lens (104), and focused at the upper part in the drawing, with respect to the y-axis direction of the spatial light modulator (105). The light provided with a desired phase modulation and reflected by the spatial light modulator (105) is deflected at a desired angle in the y-z plane according to its phase setting, and further optically coupled to an arbitrary port by passing through the lens (104) again, thus the switching operation is completed.

Claims

1. An optical signal processing device comprising:

M light input/output units each having N input/output ports, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

a spectroscopic unit configured to perform wavelength demultiplexing of optical signals output from the M light input/output units;

a focusing unit configured to respectively focus the optical signals dispersed for every wavelength by the spectroscopic unit; and

a spatial light modulating unit configured to perform phase modulation on each of the optical signals focused by the focusing unit,

wherein traveling directions of the optical signals output from the M light input/output units are different from one another.

2. The optical signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein chief ray of light output from the N input/output ports of each of the light input/output units respectively intersect on the same plane with one of chief rays of light output from the N input/output ports of the other light input/output unit.

3. The optical signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the light input/output unit includes a planar lightwave circuit.

4. The optical signal processing device according to claim 3, wherein the planar lightwave circuit includes a slab waveguide provided at an input/output end on the side of the spectroscopic unit.

5. The optical signal processing device according to claim 4, wherein the planar lightwave circuit includes a numerical aperture control mechanism configured to control a numerical aperture of light output from the planar lightwave circuit into a space.

6. The optical signal processing device according to claim 5, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes a tapered structure in which a waveguide width of the planar lightwave circuit varies according to the traveling direction of light in a waveguide.

7. The optical signal processing device according to claim 5, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes:

a slab waveguide; and

a lens mechanism having a power only in a plane of the planar lightwave circuit.

8. The optical signal processing device according to claim 5, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes:

at least one slab waveguide; and

an arrayed waveguide connected to the slab waveguide.

9. The optical signal processing device according to claim 8, wherein all the waveguides in the arrayed waveguide have the same optical length.

10. The optical signal processing device according to claim 8, wherein the total number of the numerical aperture control mechanisms is less than N×

M.

11. The optical signal processing device according to claim 2, wherein the light input/output unit includes a planar lightwave circuit.

12. The optical signal processing device according to claim 11, wherein the planar lightwave circuit includes a slab waveguide provided at an input/output end on the side of the spectroscopic unit.

13. The optical signal processing device according to claim 12, wherein the planar lightwave circuit includes a numerical aperture control mechanism configured to control a numerical aperture of light output from the planar lightwave circuit into a space.

14. The optical signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes a tapered structure in which a waveguide width of the planar lightwave circuit varies according to the traveling direction of light in a waveguide.

15. The optical signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes:

a slab waveguide; and

a lens mechanism having a power only in a plane of the planar lightwave circuit.

16. The optical signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the numerical aperture control mechanism includes:

at least one slab waveguide; and

an arrayed waveguide connected to the slab waveguide.

17. The optical signal processing device according to claim 16, wherein all the waveguides in the arrayed waveguide have the same optical length.

18. The optical signal processing device according to claim 16, wherein the total number of the numerical aperture control mechanisms is less than N×

M.