Optical interconnection network

• US 5,037,173 A
• Filed: 11/22/1989
• Issued: 08/06/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Sampsell, Jeffrey B., McDonald, Terrance G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heartney, Phan T.
• Application Number:
  US07/441,129
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.18, 350/96.13, 350/96.15, 350/96.16, 350/96.20
• US Class Current: 385/17
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3512 the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/355 1x2 switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of two possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3552 1x1 switch, e.g. on/off switch
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres

Abstract

A crossbar switch (500) with input optical fibers (571, . . . 586) and output optical fibers (511, . . . 526) having ends connected to transmitters (551, . . . 554) and receivers 561, . . . 564), respectively, and other ends in linear arrays (545, 546) that are adjacent to linear micro lens arrays (540, 542) and a linear spatial light modulator (530) with light emitted from an input fiber end reflected back into an output fiber end for pixels deflected in one direction in the spatial light modulator (530) and lost for pixels deflected in another direction. Other embodiments include reflection from a pixel directly back into the same fiber which is bifurcated.

Claims

1. An optical crossbar switch, comprising:

a plurality of input optical fibers;

a plurality of output optical fibers;

a spatial light modulator with a plurality of reflective pixels, each of said pixels including a torsion beam mirror element and having at least first and second states;

an optical system imaging light emitted rom a first end of one of said input optical fibers onto a corresponding pixel of said spatial light modulator, and reimaging said light after reflection from said corresponding pixel if said pixel is in said first state but not if said pixel is in said second state onto a corresponding first end of one of said output optical fibers;

an input linear array of microlenses for said first ends of said input optical fibers; and

an output linear array of microlenses for said first ends of said output optical fibers.

2. The crossbar switch of claim 1, further comprising;

an input holder for said first ends of said input optical fibers;

an output holder for said first ends of said output optical fibers;

an input spacer between and abutting said input holder and said input array of lenses and an output spacer between and abutting said output holder and said output array of lenses.

3. An optical crossbar switch, comprising:

N optical emitters;

a plurality of input optical fibers;

N optical splitters, each of said N splitters a 1;

M splitter and coupled to one of said N optical emitters, and each output of each of said splitters coupled to a corresponding one of said input optical fibers;

M optical receivers;

a plurality of output optical fibers;

M optical combiners, each of said M combiners a N;

1 combiner and coupled to one of said M optical receivers, and each input of each of said combiners coupled to a corresponding one of said output optical fibers;

a spatial light modulator with N×

M reflective pixels, each of said pixels including a torsion beam mirror element and having at least first and second states;

an optical system imaging light emitted rom a first end of one of said input optical fibers onto a corresponding pixel of said spatial light modulator, and reimaging said light after reflection from said corresponding pixel if said pixel is in said first state but not if said pixel is in said second state onto a corresponding first end of one of said output optical fibers;

an input linear array of N×

M microlenses for said first ends of said input optical fibers and an output linear array of N×

M microlenses for said first ends of said output optical fibers; and

whereby each of said N optical emitters is connected to or disconnected from each of said M optical receivers through one of N×

M of said pixels.

4. The crossbar switch of claim 3, further comprising:

(a) an input holder for said first ends of said input optical fibers;

(b) an output holder for said first ends of said output optical fibers;

(c) an input spacer between and abutting said input holder and said input array of lenses and an output spacer between and abutting said output holder and said output array of lenses.

5. The crossbar switch of claim 4, wherein:

(a) said input holder is a sandwich of two grooved silicon substrates with said input optical fibers held in the grooves; and

(b) said output holder is a sandwich of two grooved silicon substrates with said output optical fibers held in the grooves.

6. The crossbar switch of claim 5, further comprising:

(a) a first connector part including said input and output holders, said input and output spacers, and said input and output arrays of microlenses in a first bevelled portion; and

(b) a second connector part including a second bevelled portion complementary to said first bevelled portion, said second bevelled portion attached to said reflective spatial light modulator; and

(c) fasteners coupling said first connector part to said second connector part.

7. An optical crossbar switch, comprising:

a plurality of input optical fibers;

a plurality of output optical fibers;

a plurality of second output optical fibers;

a spatial light modulator with a plurality of reflective pixels, each of said pixels having a first, second and third state;

an optical system imaging light emitted from a first end of one of said input optical fibers onto a corresponding pixel of said spatial light modulator, and reimaging said light after reflection from said corresponding pixel onto a first end of one of said first and second output optical fibers if said corresponding pixel is in said first state but not if said corresponding pixel is in said second state.

8. The crossbar switch of claim 7, further comprising:

N optical emitters;

N optical splitters, each of said N splitters a 1;

M splitter and coupled to one of said N optical emitters, and each output of each of said splitters coupled to a corresponding one of said input optical fibers; and

M optical receivers;

M optical combiners, each of said M combiners a N;

1 combiner and coupled to one of said M optical receivers, and each input of each said combiners coupled to a corresponding one of said output optical fibers;

whereby each of said N optical emitters is connected to or disconnected from each of said M optical receivers through one of N×

M of said pixels.

9. An optical interconnection network, comprising:

(a) N input optical fibers;

(b) N output optical fibers;

(c) an N pixel spatial light modulator;

(d) a first microlens array with N lenses, said first lens array located to image light emitted from said input optical fibers onto and pixels; and

(e) a second microlens array with N lenses, said second lens array located to reimage light from said pixels to said output optical fibers.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein:

(a) said spatial light modulator including a linear array of pixels, each of pixels including a torsion beam mirror element; and

(b) said microlens arrays each including a linear array of microlenses, one lens for each of said pixels.

11. The network of claim 9, further comprising:

(a) N second output optical fibers;

(b) a third microlens array with N lenses, said third lens array located to reimage light from said pixels to said second output optical fibers.