Wavelength selective switch having distinct planes of operation
First Claim
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1. A wavelength selective switch for switching wavelengths from one or more optical signals, the signal comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each constituting a work piece, the wavelength selective switch comprising:
- a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a fiber port array;
a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components;
a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane and at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane;
said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane; and
a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports,wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plane.
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Abstract
A wavelength selective switch utilizing aperture-shared optics and functionally distinct planes of operation that enables high fiber port counts, such as 1×41, and multiplicative expansion, such as to 1×83 or 1×145, by utilizing elements optimized for performance in one of the functionally distinct planes of operation without affecting the other plane.
115 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A wavelength selective switch for switching wavelengths from one or more optical signals, the signal comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each constituting a work piece, the wavelength selective switch comprising:
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a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a fiber port array; a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane and at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane; said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane; and a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A wavelength selective switch for switching wavelengths from one or more optical signals, the signal comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each constituting a work piece, the wavelength selective switch comprising:
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a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a fiber port array; a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane; said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane; at least one beam steering element operable to steer the one or more optical signals within said plurality of fiber ports arranged in said fiber port array; and a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, said at least one beam steering element, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plane. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A wavelength selective switch for switching wavelengths from one or more optical signals, the signal comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each constituting a work piece, the wavelength selective switch comprising:
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a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a two dimensional fiber port array having a plurality of columns of fiber ports; a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane and at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane; said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane; a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports; and at least one beam steering element operable to steer the one or more optical signals from said plurality of fiber ports to said switching element, and from said switching element to said plurality of fiber ports; wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, said at least one beam steering element, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plane. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method for optimizing optical switch performance comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a fiber port array, a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components, a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane and at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane, said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane, and a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses, at least one spherical lens, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plan; and
,positioning at least one of said dispersive element, said switching element, and said fiber port array at a focal point of at least one of said plurality of optical elements in at least one plane of said switching and said dispersive planes. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method for increasing an optical switch fiber port count comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of fiber ports arranged in a two dimensional fiber port array, a dispersive element operable with said plurality of fiber ports to separate at least one optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components, a plurality of optical elements operable with said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least three cylindrical lenses positioned in front of said dispersive element, wherein at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a switching plane and at least one other of said at least three cylindrical lenses has power in a dispersive plane, said plurality of optical elements further comprises at least one spherical lens positioned in back of said dispersive element, wherein said at least one spherical lens has power in both said switching plane and said dispersive plane, a switching element operable with the plurality of wavelength components and controllable to guide a selected one of the plurality of wavelength components to a selected one of said plurality of fiber ports, and at least one beam steering element operable to steer the one or more optical signals within said plurality of fiber ports, wherein said at least two of said at least three cylindrical lenses, at least one spherical lens and said switching element affects an optical properly of at least one optical signal in said switching plane, and wherein said at least one of said at least three cylindrical lenses, said at least one spherical lens, said at least one beam steering element, and said dispersive element affects an optical properly of said at least one optical signal in said dispersive plane, said switching plane being generally orthogonal to said dispersive plane; and
,positioning at least one of said dispersive element, said switching element, said beam steering element, and said two dimensional fiber port array at a focal point of at least one of said plurality of optical elements in at least one plane of said switching and said dispersive generally orthogonal planes. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification