Beam steering element and associated methods for manifold fiberoptic switches
First Claim
1. An optical system comprising two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, each optical switch comprising:
- one or more input fiber ports, each said input fiber port serving as an external interface for introducing the one or more input optical signals into one of said two or more optical switches;
one output fiber port, said output fiber port serving as an external interface for extracting the output optical signal from one of said two or more optical switches;
at least one shared arrayed switching element for receiving at least one wavelength from said one or more input fiber ports and switching at least one wavelength from one of said one or more input fiber ports to said one output fiber port according to a state of said at least one shared arrayed switching element;
at least one shared wavelength dispersive element for spatially separating at least one first wavelength of the input optical signal from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and for recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal;
at least one shared arrayed steering element for steering the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and for steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said one output fiber port,wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element further comprises one or more facets, wherein each said facet is configured to position the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element and configured to position the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said one output fiber port; and
,one or more shared optical elements, wherein each said optical element focuses the optical signals of said one or more input fiber ports and said one output fiber port;
wherein said at least one shared arrayed switching element, at least one shared wavelength dispersive element, at least one shared arrayed steering element, and one or more shared optical elements are utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.
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Abstract
An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), wherein λn from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on λn mirrors via the use of shared free space optics, wherein said beam steering elements steers λn from any point in the optical path to any other point; and discrete arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors in a shared array, wherein a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch.
104 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An optical system comprising two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, each optical switch comprising:
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one or more input fiber ports, each said input fiber port serving as an external interface for introducing the one or more input optical signals into one of said two or more optical switches; one output fiber port, said output fiber port serving as an external interface for extracting the output optical signal from one of said two or more optical switches; at least one shared arrayed switching element for receiving at least one wavelength from said one or more input fiber ports and switching at least one wavelength from one of said one or more input fiber ports to said one output fiber port according to a state of said at least one shared arrayed switching element; at least one shared wavelength dispersive element for spatially separating at least one first wavelength of the input optical signal from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and for recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal; at least one shared arrayed steering element for steering the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and for steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said one output fiber port, wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element further comprises one or more facets, wherein each said facet is configured to position the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element and configured to position the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said one output fiber port; and
,one or more shared optical elements, wherein each said optical element focuses the optical signals of said one or more input fiber ports and said one output fiber port; wherein said at least one shared arrayed switching element, at least one shared wavelength dispersive element, at least one shared arrayed steering element, and one or more shared optical elements are utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An optical system comprising two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, each optical switch comprising:
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one input fiber port, said input fiber port, serving as an external interface for introducing the input optical signal into one of said two or more optical switches; one or more output fiber ports, each said output fiber port serving as an external interface for extracting the one or more output optical signals from one of said two or more optical switches; at least one shared arrayed switching element for receiving at least one wavelength from said one input fiber port and switching at least one wavelength of said one input fiber port to one of said one or more output fiber ports according to a state of said at least one shared arrayed switching element; at least one shared wavelength dispersive element for spatially separating at least one first wavelength of the input optical signal from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and for recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal; at least one shared arrayed steering element for steering the at least one wavelength from said one input fiber port onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and for steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to any of said one or more output fiber ports; wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element further comprises one or more facets, wherein each said facet is configured to position the at least one wavelength from said one input fiber port onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element and configured to position the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to any of said one or more output fiber ports; and one or more shared optical elements, wherein each said optical element focuses the optical signal of said one or input fiber port and said one or more output fiber ports; wherein said at least one shared arrayed switching element, at least one shared wavelength dispersive element, at least one shared arrayed steering element, and one or more shared optical elements are utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.
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Specification