Optical configuration for optical fiber switch
First Claim
1. An optical switch comprising:
- a first plurality of ports;
a second plurality of ports;
a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface;
a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface; and
a dichroic optical element positioned between the first plurality of mirrors and the second plurality of mirrors to reflect a monitor light beam from the first plurality of mirrors to the second plurality of mirrors;
wherein each one of said first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of said first plurality of ports to any one of said second plurality of mirrors via said dichroic optical element; and
wherein each one of said second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of said second plurality of ports light incident on said one of said second plurality of mirrors from any one of said first plurality of mirrors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical fiber switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a first plurality of ports, a second plurality of ports, a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface, and a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface. Each one of the first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of the first plurality of ports to any one of the second plurality of mirrors. Each one of the second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of the second plurality of ports light incident on it from any one of the first plurality of mirrors. Advantageously, optical fiber switches in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may couple more than a thousand input ports to more than a thousand output ports with an insertion loss of less than about 3 decibels.
67 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An optical switch comprising:
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a first plurality of ports;
a second plurality of ports;
a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface;
a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface; and
a dichroic optical element positioned between the first plurality of mirrors and the second plurality of mirrors to reflect a monitor light beam from the first plurality of mirrors to the second plurality of mirrors;
wherein each one of said first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of said first plurality of ports to any one of said second plurality of mirrors via said dichroic optical element; and
wherein each one of said second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of said second plurality of ports light incident on said one of said second plurality of mirrors from any one of said first plurality of mirrors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An optical switch comprising:
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a first plurality of ports;
a second plurality of ports;
a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface;
a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface;
a dichroic optical element located in an optical path between said first plurality of ports and said first plurality of mirrors; and
a reflective structure optically coupled between the dichroic optical element and a sensor to reflect an optical beam from the dichroic optical element to the sensor;
wherein each one of said first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of said first plurality of ports to any one of said second plurality of mirrors; and
wherein each one of said second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of said second plurality of ports light incident on said one of said second plurality of mirrors from any one of said first plurality of mirrors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An optical switch comprising:
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a first plurality of ports;
a second plurality of ports;
a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface;
a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface;
a beam splitter located in an optical path between said first plurality of ports and said first plurality of mirrors; and
a reflective structure optically coupled between the beam splitter and a field lens to reflect an optical beam from the beam splitter to the field lens;
wherein each one of said first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output from a corresponding one of said first plurality of ports to any one of said second plurality of mirrors; and
wherein each one of said second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of said second plurality of ports light incident on said one of said second plurality of mirrors from any one of said first plurality of mirrors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An optical switch comprising:
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a first plurality of ports;
a second plurality of ports;
a first plurality of mirrors disposed on a first surface; and
a second plurality of mirrors disposed on a second surface, wherein the first plurality of mirrors and the second plurality of mirrors are disposed to reflect a monitor light beam from the first plurality of ports to the second plurality of ports;
wherein each one of said first plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct light output form a corresponding one of said first plurality of ports to any one of said second plurality of mirrors; and
wherein each one of the second plurality of mirrors is individually controllable to direct to a corresponding one of said second plurality of ports light incident on said one of said second plurality of mirrors from any one of said first plurality of mirrors, further comprising; and
a first dichroic optical element located in an optical path between said first plurality of ports and said first plurality of mirrors;
a first reflective structure optically coupled between the first dichroic optical element and a first sensor to reflect a first optical beam from the first dichroic optical element to the first sensor;
a second dichroic optical element located in an optical path between said second plurality of ports and said second plurality of mirrors; and
a second reflective structure optically coupled between the second dichroic optical element and a second sensor to reflect a second optical beam from the second dichroic optical element to the second sensor; and
a control system to control and monitor the orientation of each mirror of said first and second plurality of mirrors based on light intensity detected at the first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification