Fiber optical switches based on optical evanescent coupling between two fibers

• US 6,571,035 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oluma, Inc. (Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pi, Bo, Zhao, Shulai
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US09/927,095
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/16, 385/28, 385/30, 385/31, 385/32, 385/39, 385/65, 385/83
• US Class Current: 385/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/266 the optical element being an attenuator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2804 forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2826 using mechanical machining means for shaping of the couplers, e.g. grinding or polishing grinding, polishing in general B24
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2852 using tapping light guides arranged sidewardly, e.g. in a non-parallel relationship with respect to the bus light guides (light extraction or launching through cladding, with or without surface discontinuities, bent structures)
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29355 Cascade arrangement of interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3502 involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed waveguide between stationary waveguides
• 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 6/356 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: G02B 6/3582 Housing means or package or arranging details of the switching elements, e.g. for thermal isolation
• 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 6/3608 Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3636 the mechanical coupling means being grooves G02B6/3652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3692 with surface micromachining involving etching, e.g. wet or dry etching steps surface micromachining involving subtractive techniques B81C1/00055

Abstract

Fiber optical devices formed on substrates fabricated with grooves that operate based on evanescent optical coupling through a side-polished fiber surface in each fiber involved. A coupling control layer is formed between two fibers to control the evanescent coupling for optical switching operations.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first substrate having a first elongated groove formed over a first substrate surface;

a first fiber having a fiber portion engaged in said first elongated groove, a portion of fiber cladding of said fiber portion being removed to form a first side fiber surface spaced from a fiber core of said first fiber within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided mode in said first fiber;

a second substrate having a second elongated groove formed over a second substrate surface, said second substrate facing said first substrate surface to align said second elongated groove with said first elongated groove;

a second fiber having a fiber portion engaged in said second elongated groove, a portion of fiber cladding of said fiber portion being removed to form a second side fiber surface spaced from a fiber core of said second fiber and within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided mode in said second fiber, said second side fiber surface being within a reach of said evanescent field of said guided mode in said first fiber; and

a coupling control layer formed between said first and said second substrate surfaces to have a thickness to allow for evanescent coupling between said first and said second fibers, said coupling control layer responsive to a control signal to change a coupling strength of said evanescent coupling.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to optical radiation.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to an electric field.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to a magnetic field.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to a temperature change.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein said first substrate has a through hole penetrating through said first substrate and one section of said first fiber passes through said through hole.

7. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a third fiber engaged to said first substrate to have a third side fiber surface formed from removal a portion of fiber cladding to allow for evanescent coupling and located on said first substrate surface, wherein said second fiber has a fourth side fiber surface formed from removal a portion of fiber cladding to allow for evanescent coupling and located on said second substrate surface to align with and to evanescently exchange optical energy with said third side fiber surface of said third fiber.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein said first substrate has an additional elongated groove formed on an opposing substrate surface opposing said first substrate surface and has a through hole adjacent to said additional elongated groove to receive a portion of said first fiber from said first substrate surface, said portion engaged to said additional elongated groove to form an additional side fiber surface from removing fiber cladding for evanescent coupling, and further comprising:

a third substrate having a third elongated groove formed over a third substrate surface;

a third fiber having a fiber portion engaged in said third elongated groove, a portion of fiber cladding of said fiber portion being removed to form a third side fiber surface spaced from a fiber core of said third fiber within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided mode in said third fiber,

wherein said third substrate surface faces said opposing substrate surface of said first substrate to align said third side fiber surface with said additional side fiber surface to allow for evanescent coupling between said first and said third fibers; and

a second coupling control layer formed between said opposing substrate surface of said first substrate and said third substrate surfaces to have a thickness to allow for evanescent coupling between said first and said third fibers, said second coupling control layer responsive to a second control signal to change a coupling strength of said evanescent coupling between said first and said third fibers.

9. A device, comprising:

a first fiber having a first fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a first coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said first fiber;

a second fiber having a second fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a second coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said second fiber, said second fiber coupled to said first fiber by aligning said first and said second fiber coupling ports to each other to evanescently exchange energy between said first and said second fibers;

a coupling control layer formed between said first and said second fiber coupling ports to have a thickness which allows for evanescent coupling between said first and said second fibers, said coupling control layer responsive to a control signal to change a coupling strength of said evanescent coupling; and

a substrate having first and second opposing substrate surfaces and an elongated groove formed over said first substrate surface, and at least one opening formed at one end of said elongated groove and penetrating through said substrate to extend between said first and said second substrate surfaces, wherein said first fiber is engaged to said first substrate surface to place said first fiber coupling port in said elongated groove.

10. The device in claim 9, wherein said first fiber has a first fiber portion that passes through said opening to lay another fiber portion over said second substrate surface, said another fiber portion having a third fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a third coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said first fiber.

11. The device as in claim 10, further comprising a third fiber coupled to said third fiber coupling port to exchange energy via an evanescent field with said first fiber.

12. The device as in claim 9, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to optical radiation.

13. The device as in claim 9, wherein said coupling a control layer changes an optical property in response to an electric field.

14. The device as in claim 9, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to a magnetic field.

15. The device as in claim 9, wherein said coupling control layer changes an optical property in response to a temperature change.

16. A method, comprising:

causing an optical signal to be sent into a first fiber which has a first fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a first coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said first fiber,

wherein said first fiber is coupled to a second fiber through a controllable coupling layer, wherein said second fiber has a second fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a second coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said second fiber and said first and said second fiber coupling ports are aligned to each other to evanescently exchange energy between said first and said second fibers, and wherein said coupling control layer is formed between said first and said second fiber coupling ports to have a thickness which allows for evanescent coupling between said first and said second fibers; and

applying a control signal to said coupling control layer to change a coupling strength of said evanescent coupling to either switch said optical signal into said second optical fiber or maintain said optical signal in said first optical fiber.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising:

providing a substrate having first and second opposing substrate surfaces and an elongated groove formed over said first substrate surface, and at least one opening formed at one end of said elongated groove and penetrating through said substrate to extend between said first and second substrate surfaces; and

engaging said first fiber to said first substrate surface to place said first fiber coupling port in said elongated groove.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein said first fiber has a portion that passes through said opening to be over said second substrate surface, and wherein said portion over said second substrate surface has an additional fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form an additional coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said first fiber, and

said method further comprising engaging said additional fiber coupling port of said first fiber to a third fiber to evanescently exchange optical energy between said first and said third fibers, wherein said third fiber has a third fiber coupling port formed by removing a portion of fiber cladding to form a third coupling surface within a reach of an evanescent field of a guided optical mode of said third fiber, and wherein said third coupling surface is aligned with said additional coupling surface of said first fiber for evanescent coupling.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein said coupling control layer includes an electro-optic material and said control signal includes an electric field applied to said electro-optic material.

20. The method as in claim 16, wherein said coupling control layer includes a photo-sensitive optical material, and said control signal includes external optical radiation illuminating said optical material.

21. The method as in claim 16, wherein said coupling control layer includes a ferro-optical material, and said control signal includes a magnetic field applied to said ferro-optical material.

22. The method as in claim 16, wherein said coupling control layer includes a thermo-optic material, and said control signal operates to control a temperature of said thermo-optic material.