Optical cross point switch using deformable micromirror
First Claim
1. A photonic switching device comprising a first set of optical waveguides, a second set of optical waveguides, first and second opposed arrays of controllable deformable micromirrors associated respectively with said first and second sets of optical waveguides, at least one of said arrays being arranged in rows and columns, and said pairs of micromirrors being selectively tiltable, one from each array, to complete an optical path from any one of said first set of optical waveguides to any selected one of said second set of optical waveguides via a said pair of micromirrors.
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Abstract
A photonic switching device has a first set of optical waveguides, a second set of optical waveguides, and an arrangement of controllable deformable micromirrors for selectively completing an optical path between any one of the first set of waveguides and any one of the second set of waveguides. Typically, the deformable mirrors are arranged in a pair of opposed grid arrays with the input and output waveguides extending along respective rows and columns in the manner of a crosspoint switch, but with the rows and columns intersecting at an oblique angle.
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23 Claims
- 1. A photonic switching device comprising a first set of optical waveguides, a second set of optical waveguides, first and second opposed arrays of controllable deformable micromirrors associated respectively with said first and second sets of optical waveguides, at least one of said arrays being arranged in rows and columns, and said pairs of micromirrors being selectively tiltable, one from each array, to complete an optical path from any one of said first set of optical waveguides to any selected one of said second set of optical waveguides via a said pair of micromirrors.
- 12. A method of switching optical signals between a first set of optical waveguides and a second set of optical waveguides, comprising deploying first and second opposed arrays of controllable deformable micromirrors between said first and second set of waveguides, at least one of the arrays being arranged in rows and columns, and controlling pairs of said micromirrors, one from each array, to selectively complete an optical path between any one of said first set of waveguides and any selected one of said second set of waveguides via a said pair of said micromirrors.
Specification